Midnight Confessions
by Lola-2011
Summary: 2006. Holly returns to Port Charles revealing a massive amount of secrets. Holly. Robert. Luke. Anna.
1. Chapter 1

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 1

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

November 1st 2006

It was almost midnight, the deep blue sky was full of stars and there were little perfect snowflakes floating in the cold winter night air. Everything was utter perfection. Holly walked along with docks of the Port Charles pier, the light snowfall from earlier crunching under her boots, in destination of the Haunted Star.

When she entered the gambling area of the boat she found Luke passed out on top the roulette table, an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor beside him. She smiled sadly as she remembered the man he used to be before all the disappointment and devastation he had faced in life. But Luke wasn't the reason she was there.

Holly made her way down into the living quarters of the boat and into what was once Robert's room. And sure enough there he was. The moonlight, from porthole above the bed, cascading down on him. And in that very moment she knew she had made the right choice. She loved him so much, so very much that she had convinced herself that she couldn't spend another day without him.

"Robert." she called out softly, her sweet voice filling the cabin.

"Holly." he called out in his sleep. "My Holly."

The moment he called out her name she became breathless, her heart skipped a beat and she knew, she just knew that everything was going to be okay. She watched him sleep from a distance, she seemed to be frozen in her admiration of the man she loved more than anything in the world. In that very moment she vowed to never leave his side willingly ever again.

Robert's eyes slowly opened to find Holly standing before him, a vision in black, soft moonlight illuminating her porcelain skin. His eyes slid over her smoothly, drinking in every perfect inch of her. He reached out for her, wanting her to come closer, but she stood still. "Holly." he said, softly. "Where have you been?"

"In England." she replied as she took a few steps closer to him.

"I tried to find you." he told her. "I've looked and looked."

"I know." she replied. "I saw you last month in London, but I was afraid..."

"Afraid?" he asked. "Of what?"

"To tell you the truth."

"What's that?" he asked. "You can tell me, Holly. Please don't be afraid."

"You have a son." she confessed. "A little boy who needs his father."

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 2

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG-13

Robert threw the blankets back and got out of his warm bed and on to his unsteady feet. He felt as though he had just been hit with a ton of bricks. Solid steel bricks at that. "A son." he repeated. "I have a son?"

Holly did her best to swallow the lump in her throat but suddenly her mouth was so dry that she could barely get out a sentence. The last thing she wanted to do was freeze in the moment of revealing the truth to him. If she hesitated he would doubt her. Or even worse, he would compare her to Anna and the very same thing she did all those years ago.

"Yes." she finally whispered. "Yes."

He moved closer and closer to her, but every step he took toward her she took a step back away from him. "Why didn't you tell me when we were in the Islands?" he asked. "Or when I was carting you off to prison in February?"

"There was nothing to tell."

"What?" he asked, anger flashing in his bright blue eyes. "You just planned on keeping my son from me for your own selfish reasons?"

"I was." she answered honestly. "But it wasn't because I was being selfish, it was because I was scared." she told him. "And I still am."

"Dammit, Holly!" he sighed. "Aren't you going to give me any answers at all? Or is that all I get?"

"I'm trying!" she yelled.

"Then try harder!" he replied. "You can't just show up, tell me I have a son and not give me anything else."

"You're making this very difficult, Robert." she said, softly.

"You're not making any sense." he pointed out. "Just tell me!"

"I'm trying to tell you." she breathed out. "But you won't let me, you keep interrupting me."

Robert took a step away from her. "I'm sorry." he apologized. "Just tell me what you came to say."

"Okay." she agreed. "I'll tell you what I came to tell you and then I'll leave."

"Fine."

"I'm pregnant." she said, looking him directly in the eye. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

Holly watched as Robert turned several shades of white, she had never seen him quite so speechless before. He just stood there totally frozen, completely shocked, unable to say a word. Of all the things he wasn't expecting her to say, pregnant sure as hell wasn't one of them.

"I'm also still your wife." she confessed. "I never filed the divorce papers."

She knew that she had just revealed a great deal of information, but thought that he would at least have a response, that he would at least say something. "I thought you should know." she said as she turned and headed for the door. At least she had told him the truth, now he could do with it whatever he pleased. "Whatever happens now is up to you."

"Holly." he managed to breathe out. "You can't just dump all this on me and then walk away."

She paused in the doorway, her back to him. "I don't have anything else to say, Robert."

"I have plenty to say." he informed her. "If you're pregnant then why have you been running from me? Why were you afraid to tell me? And why didn't you file the divorce papers?"

Holly turned back around to face him. "I was afraid to tell you because I knew this was the way you would react."

"And how's that?"

"I knew that you would interrogate me." she replied. "I knew that you would ask me a thousand questions about this entire mess. And I knew that you wouldn't believe me." she confessed. "I had hoped you would, but I knew you wouldn't."

"You haven't given me much to believe in, Holly." he admitted. "From February right up to this moment, I don't know what I can believe and what I can't."

"I don't blame you." she replied. "I've given you no reason to believe in me or anything I say."

Robert could feel his resolve cracking as she spoke, but he didn't know why. He had wanted to find her, he wanted to find her desperately, but now that she was standing in front of him he had never been more scared in his entire life.

"I don't know what I was thinking coming here." she confessed. "I'm sorry."

He watched as she headed for the door yet again. As much as he wanted to be mad at her, as much as it would be easier for him to just let her walk away from him and not have to confront all those bottled emotions, he couldn't. He couldn't let her walk out on him. "Are you really pregnant?" he asked the moment he heard her heels hit the floor outside the door. "Or is that a scam too?"

Holly turned around to face him yet again. "A scam." she repeated. "Sure, Robert." she sighed, defeated. "It's all one big scam."

Robert carefully looked her over. "You don't look pregnant." was his only reply.

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 3

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Robert carefully looked her over. "You don't look pregnant."

"Well, I am." she replied. "And I really don't care whether you believe me or not. It was obviously a big mistake to come here."

"So that's it?" he asked. "You're just going to leave?"

"What do you want me to do?" Holly asked. "Argue with you? I don't have the energy, and frankly If I did I still wouldn't argue with you. I came here to tell you the truth, which I did, and now I'm leaving."

"You owe me more than that."

"I don't owe you anything." she said firmly. "I didn't have to come here, but I thought it was the right thing to do. As much as I didn't want to come here and do this with you I thought it would be a hell of a lot better than introducing you to him seven years later. But I guess Anna gets preferential treatment because she's a paragon of virtue. Strong, brave, loving Anna and her army of worshipers waiting to bow down at her feet when she enters a room, nevermind the fact that she was a double agent."

"This isn't about Anna."

"Everything is about Anna." she replied. "Anna the perfect wife and the perfect mother and the perfect friend and the perfect, once in a lifetime love. You could believe her when she told you that Robin was your daughter even after everything she put you through, after everything she put us through, but you can't believe me when I tell you I'm carrying your child?"

"I don't know, Holly." he answered, honestly. "I don't know."

"You loved me once." she said sadly. "It may not have been as great of a love as you shared with Anna, but you did love me and you know that I would never lie to you about something like this." she told him as she started unbuttoning her winter coat. "I thought you and I had cleared most of this up in the Markham Islands, the night we made love, I guess I was wrong."

Robert watched as Holly opened her coat and then slid it off revealing a burgundy sweater. His eyes followed from her face, down her sweater finding it cut into a modest V neckline and then down farther finding what he assumed to be cashmere stretched out over a very noticeable bump. She wasn't overly huge but she was indeed pregnant. There was no denying it.

"I'm sorry." were the first words out of his mouth. "It's just with the coat on I couldn't tell." he said, defending himself. "You didn't look pregnant before."

"I don't know what's more pathetic, you not believing me or you scrambling to cover your mistake." Holly replied. "Either way it doesn't matter."

"Of course it does." he said, immediately softening toward her. "You're pregnant."

"But you didn't believe me." she countered. "I had to prove it to you."

"Holly, I'm sorry." he apologized. "It's just with everything that's happened since February I don't know what I can believe and what I can't." he said as he moved closer to her. "I'm sorry, I should have believed you." Robert continued to move closer to her, with every intention of pulling her into his arms, but Holly backed up instead.

"Don't." she said as she took yet another step back. "I don't want you touching me." she told him bluntly.

He nodded in agreement. "Okay, I won't." he agreed. "Can I at least..." he trailed off as his hand moved closer to her rounded stomach.

"Robert." she said, somewhat sadly. "I don't want you touching me." she repeated again. "Or my baby." there was no anger in her words and she wasn't being spiteful, she was simply defeated.

He immediately backed away from her. He knew that he had hurt her, he knew it by the look in her eyes. And he knew that he shouldn't push her by any means, but he couldn't help it the only thing he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly. He wanted to assure her that everything was going to be okay and that he was going to be with her every step of the way.

"Robert?" a voice called out from down the hallway. "Robert?"

Anna appeared in the doorway of his room, her eyes immediately falling on a petite brunette. "Oh." she breathed out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's quite alright." Holly replied. "I was just leaving."

"Holly." she smiled. "I didn't know you were back in Port Charles. Why didn't you tell me, Robert?.' she asked, looking over at him and then back at Holly. "What brings you back?"

"Just some unfinished business to clear up." she replied. "Which I have so if you'll excuse me..."

"You're pregnant." Anna observed. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." she replied as she slipped her coat back on. "I really must be going."

"Where are you staying?" Anna asked.

"The Metro Court." she replied. "I'm heading back to England in the morning."

"Holly, wait." he said.

"I don't think so." Holly replied. "I think you and I have said enough to each other. Goodbye, Anna." she said as she walked toward the door. "You're really much more pleasant in small doses."

Anna smiled, wrinkling her nose up at her. "Those pregnancy hormones are doing wonders for your mood, luv." she replied. "You're much more relaxed." she said. "I guess I'll see you in another fifteen years."

"Let's make it thirty this time." Holly said as she walked out the door. "One of us may be dead by then."

Robert watched as she walked out of his room. He could hear the clanking of her heels against the ship floor as she went down the hallway and then suddenly everything was quite. Dead silent.

"You idiot." Anna said. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"What?!" he asked.

"You got her pregnant and then you abandoned her." she replied. "Do you not like pregnant women?"

"Anna." he sighed. "I'm not in the mood for this."

"It is your baby isn't it?"

Robert nodded. "Yes."

"Why did you just let her walk out like that?" she asked. "Holly's pregnant with your child and you just let her walk away, why?"

"I didn't believe her." Robert mumbled.

"What?"

"I didn't believe her." he repeated. "When she told me she was pregnant."

"Did you not see her?" Anna asked. "She's very visibly pregnant."

"She had on a coat." he said, defensively. "I couldn't tell."

"Wow." she breathed out. "You really messed up this time, nice work."

"Anna!" he said, annoyed. "Why are you here?"

"To revoke your super spy license." she replied, dryly. "Because clearly you've forgotten how to use it."

tbc...

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 4

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Robert sat down on the edge of his bed and took a few deep breaths. He wanted all the information he had just received to fully sink in, but with Anna badgering him he doubted he could get enough peace and quiet to thoroughly think things through. He had messed up. And royally so. Holly was never going to forgive him and he didn't blame her.

"Damn." he swore. "She's never going to forgive me." he mumbled. "Holly's going to hate me for the rest of my life and I'm never going to get to know my child."

"Now, Robert, let's take this one step at a time." Anna instructed. "You have to keep in mind that Holly is pregnant and hormonal."

"So you think you she'll forgive me and we can work through this entire mess?"

"Oh, I really don't think so." she sighed. "You're pretty much going to have to get down on your hands and knees and beg, plead and grovel."

"But you just said that..."

"I said she was hormonal, Robert." she replied. "I didn't say she was stupid."

"So what do I do?" he asked, exasperated. "Do I go after her? She said that she was staying at the Metro Court, maybe I should go find her and we can talk."

"That would be the worst thing you could do right now." she informed him. "You told her that you didn't believe that she was carrying your baby, you looked her in the eye when you said it, and now you have to give her some time to calm down. If you go over there now you're only going to upset her and make things a thousand times worse. Give her a little space."

"And then what?" he asked as he ran a hand through his hair. "Then what happens? What if she won't forgive me? What if she goes back to England and never lets me see my baby?"

"Then you deserve it." Anna said, bluntly. "She was doing the right thing. She came over here to tell you about your baby in person and you basically slapped her in the face."

"I know that I messed up!" he replied. "And I know that I've hurt her, it's just after everything that's happened I didn't know what to believe."

"You knew it was a possibility." she replied. "But instead of giving her the credit she deserved you accused her of lying to you and I hate to say it but as of right now you deserve everything she throws your way."

Robert got up off the bed and began to pace the floor as he tried to come up with a way to fix things. He was wrong, dead wrong about Holly, but he was so angry at her past behavior that he didn't want to believe her, that way he didn't set himself up for disappointment all over again. And deep down he didn't want to admit that he had hurt so badly in the past that she lashed out in a way that he could have never imagined.

"I don't know what to do." he finally said, his eyes filling with tears. "I love her and I don't want to lose her all over again."

Anna walked toward him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "That's what you need to tell her." she said, softly. "That's what Holly needs to hear."

"Even I know that telling her I love her isn't going to make everything magically all right."

"No, it's not." she agreed. "But it's a great place to start."

"So I wait until in the morning?" he asked.

"Yes." Anna replied. "Give her a chance to calm down and then you can go crawling to her on your hands and knees."

"Holly hates me."

"And she's going to hate you for a while." she agreed. "Not even those piercing blue eyes can get you out of this one."

Metro Court Hotel

Holly woke up to the most incredible feeling in the entire world. Her baby moving inside her. His fluttering movements and delicate yet steady little kicks more than warmed her heart. And she couldn't wait until the moment she held him in her arms, until she could look into the eyes of the little life that she and Robert had created.

After a long, hot bubble bath Holly got dressed and ordered room service. There were a few things she wanted to attend to before she left Port Charles and headed home to England. Back to her Estate with a staff of servants at her disposal and a schedule packed full of things that had be done before her baby was born.

Robert hadn't believed her when she told him she was pregnant with their baby and even though it had broke her heart into a thousand tiny little pieces she had expected it. She knew that he could never fully forgive her for what she had done and deep down in her heart she couldn't blame him. So instead of getting upset or angry and crying her eyes out she focused all her attention on her baby. She had told Robert the truth and there was nothing more that she could do.

Holly made her way out into the livingroom, gathering up a few things so that she could pack them up. She reached for the book on the table, Intensity by Harper Stowe. She skimmed over the summary on the back cover. A story about romance and adventure and all consuming love. A story where the main characters battled through heaven and hell to find their way back to each other.

"Who reads this crap?" Holly mumbled under her breath.

She could hear her friend Addison's voice in her head.

"_Millions of people. That's why it's a best seller, Holly." _

Holly was snapped out of her thoughts by a soft knock on her door followed by a man echoing out that room service had arrived. She placed the book back on the table and walked over to open the door. She planned to have breakfast and then check out of the hotel. The sooner she was back to England the better.

"Room service." Anna said the very moment Holly opened the door.

"Oh, God." she sighed, slightly annoyed. "Has it been thirty years already?"

"Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked with a smile. "I'm bringing you your breakfast and everything. You should be thrilled to see me."

"I'm not so sure thrilled is the word I'd use."

"Oh." Anna breathed out. "How about delighted?"

"No." she answered.

"Pleasantly surprised?"

Holly shook her head. "No." she answered as she moved out of the way so Anna could enter the room. "How about vexed?"

"You're a little vicious on an empty stomach." she replied. "After we have breakfast I'm sure you'll feel a lot better."

"We're having breakfast?" Holly asked. "As in together?"

"Yes." she answered. "I hate eating alone."

Holly watched as Anna began setting up the table. "Why are you here?" she asked. "Don't you have other things to do?"

"Not this morning." she answered. "I thought it would give us a chance to catch up."

Oh, Anna, how thoughtful." she replied, sarcastic cheerfulness filling her voice. "There's so much I want to share with you."

"That was a little over the top, Holly." she said. "Even for you."

"I try."

Anna picked up the book off the table. "Intensity by Harper Stowe" she read aloud.. "This was an extraordinary book, so full of love and passion and well...intensity."

"So you enjoyed it?" she asked, her interest suddenly peaked.

"Enjoyed it?" she repeated. "I absolutely loved it. It's on the New York Times best sellers list. Have you read it?"

"No." Holly answered. "I haven't."

"Well you should start on it." she suggested. "There's this one part where Jackson is trying to get Olivia to believe in him again and he says..."

"I love you in a way that I've never loved any other woman." Holly finished for her. "In a way that I'll never love any other woman."

tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 5

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

"I love you in a way that I've never loved any other woman." Holly finished for her. "In a way that I'll never love any other woman." Holly crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from Anna, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap. "Jackson was trying to convince Olivia that he was the love of her life even though he had made mistakes in the past. He was trying to prove that he could give her a future."

"I thought you said you haven't read it?" Anna asked, confused.

"I haven't." she replied as drizzled raspberry sirup onto a stack of whipped creme smothered pancakes. "I wrote it."

"You what?" she asked, completely shocked.

"I wrote it." she repeated. "Could you pass me the butter?"

Anna picked up the tray of butter and handed it to her. "You wrote it?" she questioned. "You wrote Intensity?"

"Yes." she answered as she took the tray from her hand. "All two hundred and eighty six pages of it."

"Wow." she breathed out.

"And before you ask I also wrote Noir et Blanc the nineteen thirties crime drama and the series about detective Ava Jourdan as well as Escape Me Never and Ravishment" she listed off. "Any other questions?"

"You're Harper Stowe?"

"For the third time, yes." Holly answered. "I'm Harper Stowe, the author. Now eat your eggs."

"Why did you use a pen name?" Anna asked. "Why didn't you just use Holly Scorpio?"

"Okay, first off, my last name is Sutton." she corrected her. "And second, I wanted to use a pen name and so I did."

"This is amazing." she smiled. "What's your next book about?"

"Well, I don't know if I should tell you." Holly replied. "I'd hate to spoil it for you."

"Oh, come on." she said, excitedly. "Just give me a little preview."

"Well, okay." she agreed. "It's called Pariah and its about this woman named Molly that kills her husband's exwife, Hannah in order to shut her up because she asks entirely too many questions."

Anna sat back in the chair, pondering what Holly had just told her. "That's not funny." she said. "Well, maybe just a little."

Holly laughed softly. "In all honesty I'm finishing up a book called Quest." she told her. "Its about a woman who crosses enemy lines to rescue her husband from the forces of evil which in this case happens to be the government."

"So all these stories, they're about you and Robert aren't they?" she asked. "Great loves and wild adventures and happily ever afters."

"I guess they are in a way." Holly confessed. "I was trying to recreate the only true love I had ever experienced and I tried to keep that love alive through the words in my book. But that's quite enough about me. Why are you here, Anna?"

"I think we both know why I'm here."

"You're here on behalf of Robert." she replied. "You can tell him that he can rest assured I'm not going to prevent him from seeing his baby."

"I didn't think that you would." she told her. "Robert on the other hand does."

"Well, then, Robert's not nearly as perceptive as he used to be." Holly said, softly. "He can see the baby whenever he wishes, but as long as the baby is living and growing inside my body I don't want him near me."

"It's your body and your decision." Anna agreed. "I just think that you need to tell Robert that you're not going to take his child away from him, that you're not going to repeat my mistake."

"You can tell him." she told her. "I don't want to see him."

"I'm not going to defend Robert, I can't." she said, honestly. "He was wrong not to believe you and that was a huge mistake and he knows it. He'll spend every day for the rest of his life regretting it. I'm not asking you to forgive him and I'm not pleading his case, but you need to assure him that he has a place in his baby's life."

"Why do I have to tell him something he should already know?" Holly asked. "Robert should know that I would never take his child away from him."

"He messed up so incredibly bad this time that he thinks you're going to spend the rest of your life hating him."

"I might."

"And I wouldn't blame you." she replied. "But Robert loves you. You do know that don't you Holly?"

She pushed the food around on her plate with her fork, trying to pretend that she didn't hear the question. "I have some things to take care of before I leave." she told her. "I'd like to see Robin."

"I know you heard me." Anna said. "It's okay you don't need to answer me. Your actions speak a thousand times louder than your words."

"I don't want to talk about Robert." she replied. "The only thing I want to focus on right now is my baby."

"Okay." she sighed. "Then we'll talk about your baby then. When is your due date?"

"Valentines day." she answered.

"What an interesting due date." Anna commented. "The international day of love."

"Would you knock it off?" Holly no more than got her words out when there was a knock at the door. "I wonder who that is?"

Anna practically jumped up out of the chair. "I'll get it." she offered. "You finish your breakfast." she walked over to the door and opened it up to find a defeated Robert standing on the other side. "What a pleasant surprise."

"What the hell are you doing here, Anna?" he asked, shocked to see her.

"I was just leaving." she announced as she walked out of the door. "I'll catch you around, Holly."

Holly got up from the table and began walking toward him. "What are you doing here, Robert?" she asked. "I don't want to see you."

"Please just give me five minutes." he asked, almost pleading. "Just five minutes."

"We don't have anything left to say to each other."

Robert held out the fuzzy teddy bear, he had been clutching in his hand, to her. "I brought this for the baby." he said, softly. "Maybe you can put it in his nursery or something. That way a little piece of me will always be near him."

tbc..


	6. Chapter 6

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 6

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Robert held out the fuzzy teddy bear, he had been clutching in his hand, to her. "I brought this for the baby." he said, softly. "Maybe you can put it in his nursery or something. That way a little piece of me will always be near him."

Holly reluctantly reached out and took the bear from his hand. "Thank you." she replied. "I'll put it in his crib." she said as she began to close the door. "Goodbye, Robert."

"Holly wait!" he said, placing his hand on the door to prevent her from closing it. "I want to talk to you."

"What is it?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "I already told you I don't want to see you."

"Please just give me five minutes." he pleaded. "I just want a chance to explain things."

"Do you honestly think that you can explain everything away in five minutes?" Holly asked. "Because unless you have a magical spell it's going to take a hell of a lot longer than five minutes."

"So what am I suppose to do?" Robert asked. "Just forget any of this ever happened and let you go back to England to raise our child?"

"I don't know what else you want from me, Robert." she said. "I came back to Port Charles told you about the baby, you didn't believe me and now I'm going back to England to raise my baby. I don't owe you anything more than what I've already told you."

"Come on, Holly." he complained. "That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair!" she snapped. "I was honest and it got me nowhere, that's not fair!"

"I'm sorry." he said, sincerely. "I'm sorry about this whole mess and that's what I came here to talk to you about."

"Well I don't want to talk to you!" she yelled. "I just want you out of my life, Robert, and for good this time. I don't know what happened in the past nineteen years since we were together but you're not the man I thought you were. So, please, just go."

"Holly you can't do this." he argued. "You can't do this to me!"

"Goodbye, Robert." she said. "I'll call you when the baby's born."

"That's it?" he asked. "You'll call me when the baby's born? Is that all I get?"

"Dammit." she breathed out as she moved away from the open door. "I don't want to fight with you Robert." she confessed. "It was never my intention, but you've made your opinion of me perfectly clear and there's no reason for you and I to discuss this any further. I'm going back to England and after the baby's born you can come and see him. You can be as much, or as little, of a part of his life as you like it's up to you, but for the remainder of my pregnancy I don't want to be anywhere near you."

Robert followed Holly into the hotel room, shutting the door behind him. "I told you I was sorry." he repeated. "And I am, I truly am. I never meant to hurt you and I was a fool for not believing you."

"Do you honestly think that a few apologies and some heartfelt words are going to get you out of this mess?" she asked. "You doubted me, Robert. I told you I was carrying your child and you thought it was a scam do you honestly expect me to tell you that everything is forgiven? I didn't have to come here, Robert, I could have kept this baby away from you forever."

"I know." he said. "But you didn't, you came here and told me the truth."

"Yeah." she sighed. "And that should have counted for something but instead I was accused of pulling a scam and lying. Even after everything that happened, after everything that went wrong in February it never once crossed my mind that you wouldn't believe me when I told you I was pregnant. Because if it would have I would have just told you over the phone instead of coming back to Port Charles to tell you in person. Maybe if I did it wouldn't have hurt as much when you accused me of lying to my face."

"I'm sorry." he apologized again. "I'll spend the rest of my life apologizing to you just please don't shut me out." he said, softly. "Please don't let a few moments of stupidity erase years of love and trust."

"Love and trust?" Holly questioned. "I think you have the wrong wife, Robert. I'm Holly, not Anna and I don't get free passes for the things I've done. I've paid for the choices I've made and I'm still paying. I use to think that the biggest mistake of my life was not contacting you after I woke up from my coma, but now believe my biggest mistake was ever coming back to you in the first place. For the past seventeen years I've always had a hole in my heart where I thought you should be and no man was ever good enough to fill it. No one could quite measure up to you." she ranted. "You're sorry because you didn't believe me? Well I'm sorry that I wasted all those years on nothing."

"Holly, I know you're upset." he started.

"You're damn right!" she interjected. "I have every right to be upset and it's going to take a hell of a lot more than some half ass apology from you about how bloody stupid you were for not believing me."

Robert felt as though his head was spinning. He had heard that pregnancy hormones were a bitch but up until that very moment he had never quite believed it. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "What do you want me to say? I'll do anything to make this right, please, please just tell me how."

"That's the thing, Robert." she breathed out. "I'm not so sure I can forgive you." she confessed. "I'm not so sure I want to. I had a really great life back in England and I messed it all up because I thought that you and I had a chance to work all this out. I was counting on it. I just never imagined that it could possibly turn out to be such a mess."

"So what now?" he asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get on that plane this evening and go home to London." Holly told him. "And when I get there I'm going to beg Addison's forgiveness and hope and pray that he'll take me back. You see he's a little more forgiving than I am because he hasn't been disillusioned by the cruel fates in this world and hopefully he never will be."

"Who's Addison?" he asked.

"A really great guy." Holly replied. "One that I don't deserve."

"So you and Addison are...involved." he concluded. "Or you were at one point?"

"Yes." she replied vaguely.

"What does this Addison guy do?" he asked.

"What difference does it make?" she countered. "He's not any of your concern."

"He's going to around our baby." he reminded her. "I was just wondering what he was like."

Holly could see the look of defeat in his eyes, but she couldn't give in to it. She couldn't. He had hurt her too badly. "Addison McCree is his name." she told him. "Feel free to run a background check on him if you like."

"Addison McCree." he repeated. "The publisher?"

"Yes." she answered as she walked over to the table and picked up the copy of Intensity and then handed it to Robert. "I write under the pen name of Harper Stowe. Addison published my first book Bitter Silence about twelve years ago."

Robert looked the book over. "Wow." he breathed out. "You're Harper Stowe."

"Yes." she replied. "And I showed the book to you before I told you about it that way you would know that I'm telling you the truth."

He felt as though he had been soccer punched in the gut. Not that he didn't deserve it. "So this is what you've been doing the past twelve years?" he asked. "Writing books?"

"Yes.' she answered.

"How did you meet Addison?" he asked. "When you completed your first book?"

"No." Holly said. "I met him before I started writing."

"So you've been involved with him for a very long time."

"I met him in the fall of nineteen ninety three." she replied. "Addison was an acquaintance that turned into a one night stand that turned into something more. And I don't know why I'm telling you all of this."

"Please continue." Robert said. "Addison obviously encouraged you to write which is a good thing since Harper Stowe is a best selling writer. So you got involved with Addison and then he became your publisher?"

"Not exactly." she confessed. "I knew him, but not very well, and one night I ended up in bed with him and from that moment on everything changed."

"You fell in love with him?"

Holly laughed softly. "Fell in love with him?" she repeated. "I could barely stand him."

"So what kept the two of you together for so long?" Robert asked. "It had to be something."

"It was." she agreed. "I spent the next few months avoiding Addison at every cost until..."

"Until what?"

Holly looked Robert directly in the eye, she didn't want him to doubt her, not again anyway. "Until..." she trailed off. "Addison...he's the father of my child." she confessed. "We have a daughter, Amelia, she's twelve."

tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 7

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Holly looked Robert directly in the eye, she didn't want him to doubt her, not again anyway. "Until..." she trailed off. "Addison...he's the father of my child." she confessed. "We have a daughter, Amelia, she's twelve."

"A daughter." he repeated. "You have a daughter with Addison McCree?"

"Yes." she answered.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Robert asked.

"You didn't really give me a chance." she replied. "And besides I don't have to explain any of this to you. What I've done in the past fourteen years is my business, not yours. I came here and told you about the baby, your baby, I don't owe you anything else."

"I didn't say you did." he told her. "All I wanted to know is what kind of environment our child was going to be growing up in."

"And I've told you." she said."Addison and I have provided a stabile, secure, loving environment for our daughter for the past twelve years. Amelia is happy and healthy and this baby will be as well."

_Our daughter._

_Our. _

_Addison and Holly. _

_Together._

_Their daughter._

Robert let out a defeated sigh. Holly was the love of his life that was the thing he was sure of. It was everything else that made his head spin. They were suppose to be raising their children together. Amelia should have been his daughter with Holly, but instead she belonged to some other man that apparently Holly didn't even like in the beginning. He had messed up so much and when he finally had the opportunity to fix it all he messed that up too.

"Look, Robert." she started as she sat down on the sofa. "I don't argue with you, so lets just sit down and talk this out before I head back to England. I want to get everything out in the open."

"That's all I wanted." he replied as he sat down beside her on the sofa. "I just wanted to talk to you."

Holly placed the teddy bear she had been holding down on the cocktail table in front of her. "I came here with expectations." she told him. "High expectations at that and what I realize now is that you and I can never get back what we had before. We're different people, Robert and I should have know that back in May."

"It's true." he admitted. "We have changed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"We don't work, Robert." Holly said, softly, her hand absentmindedly sliding across her rounded stomach. "There's no trust between us anymore. Without trust we don't have anything."

"We were good together in May."

Holly smiled sadly. "I thought so too." she admitted. "But we were caught up in the adventure of it all. In a way we were trying to recapture our past. And we did, for a while, but then reality set in and I realized that it was what it was. Fun. And nothing more."

Robert's eyes were flooded with unshed tears. "Don't say that." he replied. "It was more than that. So much more than that. We talked things out and I thought we had made progress in our relationship."

"So did I." she agreed. "But when I came here I found out just how wrong I was. We didn't make any progress at all. You trust me no more now than you did back in February. And I can't keep doing this. I feel like it's ninety two all over again and I'm still stuck in the same hell."

"I'm sorry." he said, softly. "Ninety two was difficult on all of us."

"You were always close enough for me to touch, but yet I couldn't." she confessed. "It drove me crazy. I wanted you so badly."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Robert asked. "Things might have been different."

Holly wiped away the tears from her eyes. "You were so devoted and so in love with Anna that you were willing to die to save her. You just didn't realize how many of us were going to die right along with you. You hurt a lot of people, Robert, but now in the end I think the person you've hurt most is yourself. We all survived and we all moved on in one way or another. Robin's a doctor. And Mac married Felicia and became the police commissioner. I moved back to England and Addison and I had Amelia. As painfully as it was we all moved on and we all have something to show for the past fourteen years of our lives. What do you have, Robert?"

"I have nothing." he said, defeated. "I made a terrible mistake and I will spend the rest of my life regretting it. I just don't want to hurt you anymore, I never did but it seems to be all I'm good at. I hurt you by not telling you about Anna in the first place way back when. And I hurt you again when you came back to New York years ago. And I hurt you again last night in a way that you should never forgive me for. I don't deserve to be anywhere near you or your baby, but I can't help it, I'm selfish, Holly, and I want more than anything to try and make things right."

"I'm not going to take the baby away from you." she promised him. "I should, but I'm not going to. As for making things right with me, I'm not sure you can. I just want to know how much of a role you want in this little boy's life so we can figure everything out before I go home."

"You're going back to England."

"Yes." she answered. "My entire life is in England. I don't know how I would have made it through the past thirteen years without Amelia and Addison. They are, along with this baby, the most important people in the world to me. England is my home now, its where I belong, its where I want to be."

"You love Addison, Holly." he said. "You don't have to make excuses or apologizes because you want to be with him."

"I do love him." she said as she wiped away her tears. "I guess I just didn't realize how much until now."

"Why are you crying, luv?" he asked, softly.

"Because this shouldn't have happened." she replied. "You were the only man I ever wanted to be in love with. I didn't even like Addison at first, he was arrogant and conceited and selfish and everything that I hated in a man. He was everything you weren't."

"But your feelings for Addison changed."

"They did." she admitted. "When I told him that I was pregnant with Amelia everything changed. It was as though he finally realized that all that other crap that he had prided himself on, the spotlight, the money, the recognition, no longer mattered. He wanted be a good father to our baby. The more my pregnancy advanced the more caring and devoted Addison became and by the time Amelia was born we were settled in fairytale surrounding of our own making. Everything was perfect. We were giving our daughter a happy, loving home, but no matter how many times he asked I couldn't be Mrs. Addison McCree and eventually he moved out and we lived separate lives."

"You've maintained some sort of relationship with Addison over the years." he pointed out. "Things obviously aren't so bad between you now, you said you wanted to go back to him."

"Addison and I could never completely let go of each other." she replied. "We had shared so much in together raising Amelia. We're a family even when we can't always get it together. Addison and I have played a relentless game of back and forth in our relationship. Addison is the one person I can count on. When I found out you were alive I was so angry and confused and heartbroken and he was there through all of that. But instead of staying with the one person who had never let me down I left to chase after you and look where it led me."

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "I know that I could spend the rest of my life saying I'm sorry and it will never be enough."

"I came here to give you a chance at a life we should have had together." she told him. "Deep down I knew it was impossible but I knew that if I didn't try that I would spend the rest of my life regretting it. The only thing I want to know is how much of this baby's life you want to be a part of because I have a family in England waiting for me."

"Just tell me what you want." he said, softly. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"I need stability, Robert." she told him. "I spent years fighting your ghost and not only was I not willing to let go but it turns out that it was all in vain. What I have with Addison is very much real and I realize now that it was always what I wanted. All I want to know now is if you're going to be my son's father or if Addison is because I'm tired of waiting in vain. I want to get on with my life."

"I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have, Holly." he replied. "I'll do whatever you think is best for both you and the baby."

"Be a man, Robert." she said firmly. "Tell me what you want."

"I want to be in my son's life." he answered. "I don't want to miss out on anything from this moment on."

"Then you won't."

Holly reached for his hand and placed it on her stomach in the exact area she had felt the baby flutter around only moments before, hoping that he would move again. She held her hand overtop of Robert's for a few moments and sure enough she felt the most powerful kick she had ever experienced. "Looks like Henry knows his daddy." she said as she looked up at him, her eyes locking with his. "He's never kicked that hard."

"Henry." he repeated. "I like that."

"You can pick his middle name." she offered.

"We're having a baby." he said, matter-of-factly.

"We are."

There was a loud, steady knock on the door breaking their calm atmosphere and snapping back into the harsh reality of it all. Holly let go of his hand and got up off the sofa to answer the door. When she opened it she found the last person she ever expected on the other side.

Addison held out a bouquet of flowers to Holly. "For you, my love." he said, his booming British accent flooding the entire room. "White roses."

Holly accepted the flowers from his hand, inhaling their scent. "Thank you." she said. "They're beautiful."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "They're your favorite."

Addison looked past Holly to find Robert standing at the sofa. "I'm sorry, darling, I didn't know you were busy." he apologized. "Would you like me to come back?"

Holly turned and looked at Robert and then back at Addison. "No." she answered with a slight smile. "You're not interrupting anything, please come in."

tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 8

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Robert watched as Addison greeted Holly, giving her flowers and kissing her and making her smile. He was absolutely charming with her and for a brief second he could see why Holly loved him as much as she did, but then he felt a twinge of jealously and he wanted nothing more to get away from the two of them as quickly as possible. The way they connected the moment Addison greeted her was much more than he could take, she was so comfortable with him, so in love with him. He had to leave, he simply couldn't take it.

"Addison, this is Robert." Holly said as she introduced them. "We were just discussing the baby."

"Robert, its great to finally meet you." Addison said as he extended his hand. "I've heard so much about you."

He shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too." he replied. "Holly's been telling me all about you."

"All good things I hope." Addison said with a smile as he ran his hand up and down Holly's back. "I honestly didn't mean to interrupt anything I could come back a little later if you'd like."

Robert smiled, still very uncomfortable in the situation. "It's quite alright." he assured him. "Like Holly said, we were just discussing the baby."

Addison ran his hand over Holly's stomach. "Amelia did somersaults, but this one's a kicker. I keep telling Holly that the two of you have a little football player in there." he said as he turned to Holly. "I really didn't mean to barge in, but I have a meeting with a potential client at the Waldorf Astoria and I wanted to stop by and let you know that I'm going to be in town a few days and that we can fly back to England together. It will give you a few more days here to work things out. And don't worry, if anything with Amelia comes up Uncle Barry has it covered."

"Okay." she agreed. "I could use a few more days with Robert."

"Then it's settled." he said. "My meeting's not til six so I thought I could take you to lunch." he offered. "Robert can join us."

"I'd love to." Robert replied. "But I promised my daughter that I'd meet her for lunch at the hospital." he said as he glanced down at his watch. "I'm sorry to just run out, but I have to get going."

"Don't apologize." Holly said. "You and I can talk later, over dinner perhaps?"

"Sure." he agreed. "I'd love to I'll pick you up around five."

Holly smiled. "Okay."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries Robert bolted out of Holly's hotel room. Every second he stood there felt like hours. It was like he was in his own private hell. The way Addison kept touching her and smiling at her drove him absolutely insane. He wanted to get as far away from them as possible. Although he was glad that Holly would be staying a few more days because it would give him a chance to do a hell of a lot more groveling but he still didn't like to presence of Addison McCree.

"Robert's very nice, I like him." Addison said as he pulled Holly to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Now, where would you like to go for lunch?" he asked as he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Holly leaned in closer to Addison drawing his bottom lip into her mouth and then slowly releasing it before repeating the action on his top lip. Within moments they were wrapped up in a passionate, fiery kiss, her tongue stroking perfectly against his as he pulled her as close to him as he possibly could. Her hands slid down his body, pushing his jacket off of him and then going for the buttons on his shirt.

Addison pulled away from their kiss, struggling to breathe. "I see someone's hormones have kicked in." he breathed out as his hands slid up under her blouse, pushing the material up along the way.

"Kicked in?" she questioned as he trailed kisses down her neck. "I think they're in overdrive."

"I'm not complaining." he mumbled against her neck.

"Good." Holly said as her hands went for his belt. "Just so you know this is just sex and nothing more."

"I'm not offended."

Holly's mouth moved closer and closer to his. "I didn't think you would be."

All of the sudden there was a loud knock interrupting them. The more they ignored it the louder it got. "Dammit." Addison swore as he pulled away from their kiss. "You should get that."

"I don't want to." she said as she pulled him back to her.

"I don't think they're going to go away until you do." he said as he started buttoning his shirt back up. "It could be important."

"Okay." she sighed, defeated as she quickly smoothed out her appearance. "You're right."

Addison picked his jacket up off the floor and laid it over the back of the couch. "It could be Robert."

"Or it could be someone else." Holly said as she opened the door to reveal a smiling Luke on the other side.

"Hello, English." he said, cheerfully. "I heard you were back in town."

"Luke." she said, a little surprised as she took in his appearance. He was well groomed and clean shaven and actually looked like he had put some thought into his appearance. And he had what seemed to be a baby carrier attached to him. "What are you doing and what do have you in there?"

He leaned in toward her. "A baby." he whispered. "Shh it's a secret."

Holly laughed softly. "Where did you get a baby?" she asked. "And more importantly who would trust you with their child?"

"Me." he answered. "I trust me with my own kid."

"You have a baby." she repeated, wanting to make sure she heard him correctly.

"Yes." he replied. "If you let me in I might let you look at her and if you're lucky I might even let you hold my little sugar dumplin'."

Holly smiled and opened the door wider letting him inside. "Come on in, I'll get you a drink."

"Nothing but water please." he replied. "I'm on daddy duty."

"Water it is." she said as she closed the door.

"Who are you?" Luke asked as he sized up Addison. "I think I've seen you somewhere before."

"Luke, I'd like you to meet Addison McCree." she introduced him. "Addison is a publisher in England."

"Ah, yes, I knew I had seen you somewhere." he said. "What are doing with him?" he asked Holly in a whisper. "He seems a little uptight and well, very British."

"Luke, play nice." she said in a hushed tone. "And I'm British."

"Yeah I know." he replied. "You're a little uptight at times too."

"You're the famous Luke Spencer." Addison said. "I've heard so much about you, and don't worry most of it was good."

"I hope not." Luke replied, laughing. "I worked very hard for my reputation and I'd like to keep it."

Addison laughed, Luke was every bit as charismatic as Holly had explained him to be. "Then I guess all the stories were right then."

"Absolutely." he said. "You know, Addy..."

"Addison." Holly quickly corrected him as she poured him a glass of water.

"Addison." he repeated, saying each syllable slowly. "I was the first real love of Holly's life. In fact the first time I met her she was swimming nude in a..."

"Luke." Holly interjected. "Here's your water, darling."

"Oh, thanks, English." he said as he took the glass from her. "If you don't want me to divulge details to your friend, Addy, here..."

"Addison." she corrected again. "His name is Addison."

"Hey, Holly, you know that uptight thing?" he asked. "Well, you're doing it again. I was just trying to tell a story."

"Skip the story, Luke." she said.

"Oh, I think I'd like to hear this." Addison said as he sat down on the sofa. "It sounds very interesting."

Luke joined him on the sofa, placing the glass of water down on the cocktail table in front of him. "It was a beautiful summer day and I was up in the mountains in and there was this gorgeous young, naked woman..."

He was once again interrupted, but this time it was by the baby that was nestled against his chest. "Well, looks like someone finally woke up." he said as he removed the baby from the sling. "Are you ready to meet your Auntie Holly?" he asked in a cutesy little voice. Luke revealed a tiny little girl with a mass of red curls in a little pink sleeper trimmed with white lace. "This is my little sugar dumplin', isn't she adorable?"

"Oh, Luke, she's beautiful." Holly told him as she sat down beside him. "What's her name?"

"Ruby." he answered. "Ruby Grace Quartermaine-Spencer. I picked her name and everything."

"Ruby would be so proud." she smiled.

"Yeah she would be." Luke said as he handed her the baby in his arms. "Say hello to Auntie Holly,

sweetheart."

Addison looked over at Holly with the little girl in her arms and he couldn't help but remember her with Amelia when she was a baby. They had spent months preparing for their daughter's arrival but the moment she was born they were both so overwhelmed with more love and emotion than they could have ever imagined. It brought them closer together just like he knew that Henry would bring Robert and Holly together.

Holly cuddled the baby gently in her arms. "She's adorable, Luke." she told him. "She must get all her looks from her mummy." she joked. "Skye isn't it?"

"Yes, Skye." he answered. "Ruby may have gotten her hair, but she's all Spencer. And she can't wait until little Scorpio arrives so she'll have someone to play with."

"Well, after Henry's born we'll have to arrange a play date." she said. "I'd really like to meet Skye."

"I'm sure the two of you would hit it off." he told her. "And speaking of Skye if I don't get back to the Quartermaine's she's going to think that I took off with the kid."

"What are you only allowed out for an hour at a time?" Addison joked.

"Yes." Luke answered, seriously. "You see the goal is to keep the kid happy and healthy and most importantly alive."

Holly handed the baby back to Luke. "Well, then you should get going before she sends the bloodhounds after you."

Luke placed the baby back in her carrier. "You have no idea." he said as he stood up. "I have to be back in time for lunch."

"I'm glad you stopped by." she said as she rose to her feet. "We're going to be here for a few more days perhaps you can bring Ruby back and maybe Skye as well."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'll see what I can do, English." he told her. "McCree, nice meeting you."

As Luke exited the hotel room, he headed directly for the elevator he had a very important business meeting to attend to in the restaurant downstairs. Once he was in the diningroom he spotted Robert right away. "You know if I were spying on my pregnant wife I wouldn't sit here right in the open of her hotel where I know she could see me." he said as he sat down. "You should have your super spy licence revoked."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" he asked. "And I'm not spying on Holly and whatshisname."

"Addison." he said, regally. "Addison McCree a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful."

"Yeah." he sighed. "Don't remind me."

tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 9

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

As Luke exited the hotel room, he headed directly for the elevator. He had a very important business meeting to attend to in the restaurant downstairs. Once he was in the diningroom he spotted Robert right away. "You know if I were spying on my pregnant wife I wouldn't sit here right in the open of her hotel where I know she could see me." he said as he sat down. "You should have your super spy licence revoked."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" he asked. "And I'm not spying on Holly and whatshisname."

"Addison." he said, regally. "Addison McCree a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful."

"Yeah." he sighed. "Don't remind me. But I'm not spying on them."

"You so are." Luke replied. "If you weren't then why did you send me up to Holly's room the exact moment you spotted me when you stepped off the elevator?"

"I thought you'd like to see her."

"You mean spy on her." he corrected him as he removed the baby's pacifier from his pocket and dipped it into the glass of water sitting on the table in front of him before placing it in Ruby's mouth. "Now do you want the scoop or not?"

"You know I do." he answered. "And you know Skye hates those pacifiers."

"Yeah, yeah." he said, ignoring his comment. "We're talking about Holly here. She looks amazing, she's glowing and radiant." Luke told him. "Nice work, Robert, you knocked her up in just one try."

"Luke." Robert sighed.

"She and Addy looked very comfortable together." he confessed. "In fact I think I may have interrupted something."

"Holly's in love with him." he said sadly.

"Yes she is." he agreed. "And it's your fault."

"Thank you, Luke." he said, sarcastically. "You always know just what to say."

"I wasn't finished."

"Please continue then." Robert instructed.

"You have one thing going for you."

"What's that?"

"She still loves you." Luke told him. "Holly's carrying your baby and a baby creates an unbreakable bond between two people like you wouldn't believe. If you want her, then you have to fight for her."

"I do want her." he confessed. "But I don't want to mess up her life anymore than I already have."

"You can fix this." he replied. "You can make things right, I know you can."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Anna said as she approached the table. "The two stooges?"

"Well, three stooges now that you're here, Anna." Luke corrected her. "You do know how to count don't you?"

"Haha." she said, dryly. "You're so funny."

Luke shrugged. "I thought so."

"Would you like to join us, Anna?" Robert asked.

"Love to." she said as she pulled a chair up to their table. "How did things go with Holly?"

"They were going great until the uptight British guy showed up." Luke answered for him. "Addison McCree, he's a publicist or something."

"Not all British people are uptight, Luke." she corrected him. "Addison McCree is a publisher, he's the father of Holly's daughter, Amelia."

"How do you know about Amelia?" Robert asked.

"Holly has a daughter?" Luke chimed in as he shuffled through the baby's diaper bag, looking for a bottle. "I didn't know that. Why don't you people tell me these things?"

"Holly paid for Robin's education." Anna said. "They've remained close over the years and Robin would go and visit Holly and Amelia in England from time to time."

"Aren't you just a fountain of information." Robert said. "What do you know about Addison McCree?"

"Other than the fact that he's Holly publisher, the father of her child and she's been involved with him for the past thirteen years or so?" she asked. "He's one of London's hottest bachelors, he's rich, charming, successful, and very handsome."

"Very nice, Anna, you're a big encouragement." Luke said as he took Ruby out of her carrier. "Good job making Robert here feel even more lousy than he already does."

"What?!" she asked. "He asked me what I knew about Addison, I was simply answering his question."

"I'm right here, guys." Robert interrupted. "Anna's right, she could have lied a little, but I still asked."

"Yeah well, you could have put it a little better than that." he said as he shifted the baby around in his arms. "After all he just had his heart stomped all over."

"The two of you are driving me insane." Robert mumbled.

"We're just trying to help you out." Luke pointed out. "And believe me you need all the help you can get."

"Anna gave me advice and I took it." he said.

Luke laughed. "You took Anna's advice?" he asked. "Why?"

"Shut up, Luke." she said. "And hand me Ruby you obviously have no idea what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing." he replied as he handed the baby over to her. "Just because I don't do it the way you would doesn't mean that its wrong."

"Yeah, okay." she breathed out as she cradled the baby in her arms. "Give me the bottle."

Luke handed her the bottle. "If you feed her you have to burp her." he told her. "Those are the rules."

Anna started feeding the baby. "Ah, Luke, she already likes me better than she likes you."

"Watch it, Devane, you're treading on thin ice." Luke replied. "Now, we're suppose to be helping out Robert with the whole Holly situation."

"I think the last thing Robert needs is advice from you." she said then turned her attention toward her ex-husband. "How did things go between you and Holly this morning?"

"I think we made a little progress." Robert replied. "She's still really mad at me and she has every right to be, but we talked some things out. She said that she's not going to keep the baby away from me and that I could take a very active role in his life, but she doesn't want to leave England."

"Okay." Anna said. "You did make some progress. When are you going to see her again?"

"Tonight." he answered. "I'm taking her to dinner."

"Dinner." Luke repeated. "I'm impressed."

"So am I" she added. "She must not be hating you too much or she would have never agreed to go to dinner with you."

"Actually, Holly suggested dinner." he told her. "I told her I would pick her up at five."

"Is Addy coming along?" Luke asked.

"No and that's the best part." he answered. "He has to go to Manhattan on business and it's going to be just the two of us."

"Wait, Robert, is she actually with Addison?" she asked. "Are they still involved?"

"Holly said that she came here with expectations that we could work something out." he told her. "I'm guessing she's not too involved with him at the moment. She does love him though. But after my stupid mistake I think I sent her right back into his welcoming arms. And he's charming and he makes her light up when he enters the room and I'm so screwed!"

"Now, Robert, let's not getting ahead of ourselves here." Anna said as she continued to feed the baby. "I mean of course Holly loves him, they've been somewhat involved for over a decade now she's going to feel some kind of love for him. She's not a man she just can't turn her feelings on and off."

"Hey!" Luke said. "We do not turn our feelings on and off."

"Really?" she challenged. "Then I guess the next thing your going to tell is that you don't think with your..."

"Anna." Robert interjected. "Let's not go there."

"I was just making a point." she said.

"Point taken." Luke said.

"You know, Robert, despite your very, very stupid mistake Holly still loves you." Anna told him. "If she didn't she would have never came here and told you about the baby. You know she didn't have to, I didn't. She still loves you, she wouldn't have suggested dinner if she hated you."

"Holly wants to do what's best for the baby." Robert clarified. "Other than being a father to my son that's all the interest she has in me."

"I don't think so." she argued.

"Did you miss the part where McCree showed up?" Robert asked. "She's completely taken by him."

"Well, I think you have enough charm to give Addison a run for his money." she told him. "When you show up to take her to dinner just be yourself."

"And don't try too hard." Luke added. "You'll only end up looking like an ass."

"Luke's very charming." Addison said as he sat down next to Holly on the sofa. "Was that story really true about meeting you in the nude?"

"Yes." she answered as she picked up the fuzzy teddy bear off the cocktail table. "But it was a lifetime ago."

"Between meeting Robert and Luke I think I've met every male character you've ever written." he said. "Which I guess makes you the heroine."

Holly smiled briefly. "I guess." she said, softly. "All I've accomplished with my writing is trying to recapture my past and I haven't even done that very well."

"You may not have been able to recapture your past with your writing, but you have the chance now to try and fix things with Robert." he told her. "If you don't try now you'll regret it for the rest of your life and then I'll have to be the one to hear you complain."

"Fix things?" she asked. "I told you he didn't even believe me when I told him I was pregnant."

"We all make mistakes, Holly, all of us." he reminded her. "I'm sure that Robert feels absolutely horrible about what happened and that he would take it all back if he could. He was angry and upset and he wasn't thinking rationally."

"Why are you on his side?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "Why should I give him another chance? He's only going to hurt me again."

"Is that what you truly believe, darling?" he asked her. "You think Robert is only going to hurt you over and over again?"

"Yes." she said through tears. "I loved Robert more than I ever loved any other man and because I loved him so deeply it also gives him the power to hurt me in a way unlike anyone else."

Addison reached forward and wiped away a fallen tear. "If Robert's hurt you this bad then he's the only one that can take your pain away." he told her as he wrapped his arm around her. "But the more you push him away the more you're going to hurt yourself."

Holly laid her head down on his shoulder. "Why do you always have to be right?" she asked. "I hate it when you're right."

He kissed the top of her head. "Because I love you and I only want what's best for you." he told her. "Now, we're going to go out for lunch and then I'm going to bring you back here and you're going to get ready for your dinner date with Robert."

"It's not a date."

"It is." he corrected her. "You're going to get all dressed up in that beautiful red dress that I know you brought with you and dazzle the man of your dreams."

Holly smiled. "Perhaps."

tbc...


	10. Chapter 10

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 10

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: R

There was a knock on the door exactly at five o'clock and Holly still wasn't ready. Almost but not quite. After she and Addison had lunch she came back and laid down with every intention of just resting but ended up falling a sleep. She opened the door to find Robert standing on the other side in a black suit and tie. After all these years he was still the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. And she wasn't all that surprised to learn that he still made her heart skip a beat.

"Robert." she smiled. "Please come in."

"Thank you." he said as he entered the hotel room. "Am I early?"

"No." she answered. "I'm just running a little behind."

His eyes slid over her silk and lace covered body. "I don't mind the wait." he said, slowly. "Please, take your time."

She could feel his eyes sliding over her, drinking in every last inch of her. "It won't take long." she said, feeling herself flush with desire by nothing more than a mere glance from him. She had to get out of the room because she knew that he had felt it too and the best thing she could do was put some space between them. "Why don't you fix yourself a drink and I'll go get dressed." she said as headed toward the bedroom.

Robert caught her arm as she started to walk past him, pulling her toward him, practically up against him. She could feel the heat rising between them making it increasingly difficult to breathe. He leaned in to her closing in the space between them. "You're absolutely exquisite." he whispered, his breath hot against her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

His hand gently caressed her face as he kissed her cheek. "So incredibly sexy." he whispered as his hand slid down her neck and then down further. "You take my breath away." His swept his thumb across her hardened, silk covered, nipple. "I want you." he breathed out. "I've never wanted you more than I want you right now."

Holly's lips parted slightly, her tongue slipping between to wet them. God she wanted him. Her eyes were completely focused on his mouth, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. His thumb continued to stroke back and fourth across her nipple causing her to moan out softly. She moved her mouth closer and closer to his. The tip of her tongue just barely touched against his igniting a fire so hot and so passionate that they both knew there would be no turning back.

Her tongue danced over his engaging him in a breathtakingly erotic kiss that seemed to go on forever. His hands slid over her with tender possession feeling her every curve beneath his fingertips. When she felt his hands over her still covered breasts caressing and kneading she broke their kiss in favor of giving commands instead. "Harder." she said as her hands covered his. "Just don't stop touching me."

Robert touched her just the way she had asked, letting her guide the way for a few moments before moving her hands away. He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck teasing the silky skin with his tongue. Holly arched into him, into his hands, and into his mouth, never wanting him to stop. And finally she couldn't take it anymore, she had to have him.

She abruptly pulled away from him, leaving Robert both confused and panting. But not for long. She quickly stripped him of his jacket and then of his tie. She wanted him naked. She wanted him under her. Her hands pulled at the side of his shirt ripping it open to expose his bare chest, buttons flying off in the process. She wasted no time, she placed a few wet kisses on his chest as her hands went directly for his belt.

"Holly, slow down." he said.

"I don't want to." she replied, her hands quickly undoing his pants. "I can't

Robert started to protest but when he felt her hand wrap around him tightly he knew there was no way they could possibly slow it down. Holly's tongue delved into his open mouth tangling it together with his in the most impassioned kiss as her hand continued to stroke him, slowly. His masculine scent intoxicated her driving her dizzy with desire with each passing moment.

He broke their kiss trailing his mouth down to her neck nipping and licking and sucking at the flesh beneath his tongue as he tried desperately to grasp some sort of control however fluttering it was. She began to succumb to him, to his touch. He had somewhat of a drugging effect on her, he inflamed her, made her breathless yet paralyzed her with anticipation of what would happen next.

He began stepping backwards toward the sofa, his hands sliding over her soft curves, as he pulled her toward him. And suddenly he was on the sofa. He looked up at Holly standing overtop of him as if she was going to devour him. And damn, he wanted nothing more.

"Holly." he said as his hands immediately went to her hips, pulling her down on top of him so that she was straddling him. "So beautiful."

Holly's mouth covered his as their tongues once again tangling together in a heated duel. They struggled against each other violently for control. Robert ran his hands down her back, his hands sliding under the silk to touch the soft skin beneath. He drew her closer to him, her rounded stomach pressing firmly against him. She somehow managed to tear her lips away from his, dragging her open mouth down to his neck, pressing hot, wet kisses against him.

Robert's fingertips slid over the strap of her slip toying with it for a few moments before pushing it down her shoulder. He touched his lips to her bare shoulder then the tip of his tongue, tracing the little line where the strap had been. He began to lightly kiss inward and Holly leaned back to accommodate him, and herself. His open mouth slid down to her breasts, placing kisses as he went. He reached for the opposite strap pulling it down to expose her firm, swollen breasts.

He licked over her nipple before drawing it into his warm, wet mouth and swirling his tongue around it as his hand caressed the opposite breast. Holly began to grind her hips against his, the movement of his mouth driving her absolutely insane. He pushed his hips tightly against her causing her to cry out softly as his mouth switched to the opposite breast, giving it equal treatment.

Her hand made her way down in between them and she began to softly stroke him. She was driving him absolutely insane and he simply couldn't take it anymore. Within moments her body was sliding down onto his starting the most delicious slow torture either one of them had ever experienced. Their bodies moved together rhythmically and passionately. And in mere minutes it all came to a heartbreaking end as sweet moans and soft panting filled the room.

Holly collapsed against Robert and when their breathing had finally started to return to normal she placed a kiss on his shoulder and then she pulled back from his embrace. Robert reached up, running his thumb over her red, swollen lips. "Are you okay?" he asked as he pulled up the straps of her slip. "I didn't hurt you or the baby?"

"No, I'm fine." she answered. "Wonderful actually."

"That, luv, is an understatement." he said as his hand softly stroked her stomach. "You're glowing."

Her hand covered his. "If you think this gets you out of taking me to dinner, you're wrong." she told him, smiling.

Robert laughed. "I had every intention." he replied. "Go get dressed."

After a long, delightful dinner, Robert took Holly back up to her hotel room. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her all evening. She was even more beautiful than the memory that he had carried with him for all those years. And she had on the most perfect red dress, in one glance she made his heart race and his breath quicken.

Holly unlocked the door to her hotel room. "I had good time tonight." she said as she turned around to face him. "I'm glad I didn't head straight back to London."

"So am I." he said as he pulled her to him. "I'm glad that we're working things out."

She leaned in and softly kissed his lips. "Goodnight, Robert." she said as he pulled out of his embrace. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Robert watched, completely flabbergasted, as Holly went into her hotel room and closed the door behind her.

tbc...


	11. Chapter 11

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 11

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Robert stood outside Holly's hotel room door in complete shock. She had simply kissed him goodnight and closed the door in his face. He had never been more confused in his life. He thought that they were making progress, he thought that they were working things out and now he wasn't so sure of anything. Holly's actions seemed to change on a dime and it was driving him insane.

He wanted so badly to knock on her door. He wanted to ask her why she shut the door in his face. But he couldn't. After everything that had transpired between them in the past few days he was already on thin ice with her and he sure as hell didn't want to fall through because she'd leave him to drown. So he simply walked away.

"Scotch on the rocks." he told the bartender. "Make it a double."

"I take it you messed up." a voice came from behind him. "What did you do wrong?"

"I didn't do anything wrong, Anna." he replied. "In fact I did everything right."

"If you did everything right then why are you sitting here at the bar drinking away your sorrows?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be upstairs with Holly right about now?"

The bartender placed the drink in front of him. "Holly and I had dinner." he said as he picked up the glass. "Then I walked her back up to her hotel room she gave me a goodnight kiss and told me she'd call me tomorrow."

"Oh." she sighed. "And you were expecting an invite to stay the night."

"Yes." he answered as he took a drink. "Things were going great before dinner and during dinner and then she shut the door in my face."

"Oh my God." Anna said slowly. "You slept with her."

Robert just looked at her.

"Oh my God." she repeated again. "That's why you're so upset about not getting an invitation to stay the night."

"Let it go, Anna."

"I'm trying to help you out here." she replied. "You weren't kidding when you said you did everything right, were you?"

"I just don't get it." he said as he finished off his drink in one gulp. "How could we be so close and then she just push me away like that?"

"Hormones." Anna said.

"What?"

"Pregnancy hormones." she clarified. "They tend to make women extremely amorous. Holly probably would have jumped me if I walked into the room, that's how powerful they are."

"God, Anna, that's not funny." he said. "At all."

She laughed softly, amused by his reaction. "I'm sorry, Robert." she apologized, still laughing. "It's just that pregnancy hormones are a force to be reckoned with."

"So what do I do?" he asked. "Because now I'm even more confused than I was this morning before any of this happened."

"Okay, calm down." she instructed. "Let's take this a step at a time."

"Okay." he agreed. "It's just that I feel like my head is spinning and Holly's driving me insane and I have no idea what to do."

"How does it feel?" Anna asked.

"What?" he countered. "How does what feel?"

"How does it feel to be treated like a woman?" she asked.

"Huh?" he asked, confused. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Holly used you for sex and then kinda tossed you aside without giving it a second thought." she clarified. "Men do it all the time and I was wondering how you felt about it now that the tables were turned."

"I don't like it." he said, simply. "But I'm not one of those men."

"Sure you are." she said. "You took Holly to bed in the Markham Islands thinking it would just be sex and nothing more and now she's pregnant with your child and I'm sure that's something you never expected to happen."

"It wasn't." he confessed. "It was the farthest thing from my mind, but that doesn't mean my only interest in her was just for sex."

"Did you plan on building a relationship with her?"

"After everything that happened in February?" he asked. "No. I just wanted to recapture a little bit of my past, the part where I wasn't bitter or jaded, the part where we were happy and in love. I wanted to prove to Holly and myself that what we had all those years ago was real. I wanted to remind us both of who we use to be before all the secrets and the lies."

"You need to tell Holly this, Robert." she said. "This is what she needs to hear."

"Holly knows."

"No, Robert." Anna said softly. "She doesn't know. You need to tell her, you need to tell her everything you just told me."

"What difference would it make?" he asked. "Holly's in love with Addison and she wouldn't be here right now if she wasn't pregnant. She doesn't want me she wants him."

"Robert you have to go and talk to her." she told him. "Tell her everything you just told me. If you don't then she is going to turn to Addison and they're going to go home to England and play house with your son."

"Holly wants Addison." he said, slowly. "She told me she did."

"If Holly wanted Addison she would be with him." she said, loudly. "She's had a relationship with him for the past thirteen years, if she was in love with him she would have married him, she would be Mrs. Addison McCree, but she didn't and she's not. Holly loves you, but she's afraid of getting hurt and you need to assure her that's not going to happen."

"She hates me for what I did."

"You reacted out of anger and pain." she said. "Holly knows that you would take it all back if you could, she knows that you were hurt and confused."

"I'm not just talking about the baby." he said. "I'm talking about everything I've ever done to hurt her. I didn't tell her about you and I should have. I didn't tell her that I loved her before I left to come find you all those years ago. I've hurt Holly over and over again, Anna and I'm not so sure that I'm what she needs."

"It's true." she agreed. "You have hurt her. And you don't deserve her, but that's for Holly to decide, not you."

"Anna, I can't." he told her. "I'm so afraid of hurting her and I don't want to risk it."

"Robert Scorpio." she said, firmly. "If you don't talk to her you're going to lose her forever. Holly's going to go back to England with Mr. Wonderful regretting that she put whatever relationship they had in jeopardy over a man who got her pregnant and tossed her aside even if he is Robert Scorpio."

"You don't understand." he argued.

"Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Then you have to go talk to her, Robert." she said. "Or you're going to spend the rest of your life regretting it."

Robert lightly tapped on Holly's hotel room door. He tried to keep his thoughts straight whilst he waited for her to open the door, he knew that he had stuck his foot in his mouth one too many times already and couldn't afford another strike against him. Within a few moments the door opened and he was face to face with her.

"Robert." she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you."

"We just spent the entire evening together."

"I know." he replied. "But I need to talk to you, its important."

tbc...


	12. Chapter 12

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 12

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Holly closed the door behind Robert and led him over to the sofa. Somehow he didn't seem like the same man who had walked her to her door a half an hour before. He looked tired and defeated and there was a sadness in his eyes so dark and so deep that it terrified her. She thought that he was happy before, she thought that being with her made him happy or at least the thought of his son but now she wasn't so sure. Maybe he didn't want to be a father all over again after all.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked. "A drink?"

"No thank you." he replied.

"Robert, are you alright?" she asked, concerned. "Is something wrong? Is it Robin? Anna?"

"No." he answered. "They're both fine. I just...I need to talk to you that's all."

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, fear filling her voice. "Have you changed your mind?"

"Changed my mind?" Robert asked, slightly confused. He looked down at Holly's hand caressing her rounded stomach. "No, Holly." he said softly, his hand covering hers. "I haven't changed my mind at all that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Then what's wrong?" she asked, scared. "I know that look, Robert, and I don't like it."

"I have some things that I need to say." he replied. "And I need you to listen."

"Okay." she agreed as she sat down on the sofa. "I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

Robert sat down beside her. "I was downstairs at the bar having a drink and I ran into Anna, well actually she bombarded me, and we started talking and I realized just how badly I've hurt you over the years. In fact I've never done anything but hurt you and the only thing you're guilty of is giving me more love than anyone could ever desire. I don't deserve you, Holly, I didn't deserve you all those years ago and I don't deserve you now. But you've given me another chance and I need to know why. Why would you want anything to do with me after everything that's happened?"

"Because I love you." she answered, simply. "I've always loved you and I always will."

"You and I both know that love isn't always enough." he replied. "You should hate me for everything I've done to you. You should go back to England and raise Henry with Addison, you should have never of came here and told me in the first place. Not after everything that's happened."

Holly reached for Robert's hand, holding it tightly in her's. "I could have raised Henry with Addison, I had the chance and the choice but I couldn't do it Robert, as much as I wanted to I couldn't. As afraid as I was to tell you I knew that if I didn't that I would regret it for the rest of my life. I couldn't imagine looking into my little boy's eyes and lying to him everyday for the rest of my life, I couldn't imagine denying him his father's love. Even though it would have been easier for me if you never knew I couldn't do it to you or to our son."

"I'm so scared, Holly." he confessed. "I don't want to hurt you but its all I ever end up doing and I can't do it anymore. I can't keep hurting you like this. I've never really given you the love that you deserve from me and if you give me another chance it's only going to happen again. I'm willing to try and make up for my past mistakes and I'm willing to be a father to my son but I can't be with you. I can't."

"Robert, you're not going to hurt me." she said, softly.

"How could you say that?" he asked. "After my track record how could you honestly say that to me?"

"Because things are different, darling." she replied. "'We're older now and we've learnt from our past mistakes. This is our last chance to get this right, Robert. We have to get this right."

"You have so much faith in me." he said through tears. "I don't deserve you."

Holly reached forward, wiping away his tears. "Perhaps not." she said. "But I'm not going to let you push me away, not when I need you most."

"I want to be here for you and Henry." he replied as he pulled her hand toward him, pressing a warm kiss against the palm. "I want to be the husband and the father that both of you deserve, I just need a little help along the way."

"There were moments over the years where I thought I'd die without you." she confessed. "And I'm not about to let you walk away from me. If you just trust yourself and your instincts everything will come together, Robert, and you'll discover that you're not as different as you were all those years ago when we first married."

"I can do this." he said, firmly. "As long as you believe in me I can do this."

"So you're not going to walk out on me?" Holly asked. "Not even when I'm in the delivery room screaming that I hate you?"

"Of course not, luv." he said. "I'm going to be right there beside you holding your hand every step of the way."

Holly leaned into him, her lips brushing against his. "I love you." she whispered softly. "And I forgive you."

He captured her lips in a the most delicate kiss that seemed to go on forever. "I love you." he whispered as he pulled away from their kiss. "You've given me more than I could have ever imagined, Holly, more than any man deserves."

"The only thing I've done is love you, darling, the only way I've ever known how." she said, tears springing to her eyes. "With my whole heart and soul."

"Don't cry, luv." he said as he brushed away her fallen tears. "I always hated it when you cried."

"I can't help it."

He brushed her hair back away from her face. "I'm so glad I got you pregnant in the Markham Islands." he said with a smile.

"Really?" she asked, arching her eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Robert's eyes slid down her body to her cleavage which was overflowing from her nightgown, her eyes immediately following his. Holly began to laugh, a sweet addicting laugh that filled the entire room, and soon Robert was laughing too.

"More to love." he finally said.

"You like?" she asked.

"I love." he replied.

Holly stood up. "Then come with me." she said as she took a few steps toward the bedroom. "I may even let you touch."

"Luv, I'd follow you to hell."

tbc...


	13. Chapter 13

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 13

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: R

Robert followed Holly into the dimly lit bedroom, pulling the double doors shut behind him. He stayed perfectly still watching her as she made her way across the room and toward the oversized bed. She was absolutely radiant in the moonlight, as beautiful and as captivating as she was more than twenty years ago. Holly never actually needed the moonlight to be radiant, but now that she was carrying their child she was even more so.

"Darling, I thought you were coming to bed?" she asked, setting down on the unmade bed. "Have you changed your mind?"

"Have you?" he asked. "I mean are you sure you want me to stay?"

"Yes." Holly answered without hesitating.

Robert walked across the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. He reached forward, his fingertips gingerly caressing her face. "I love you." he whispered. "And I just want to hold you. I wanna fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up to your beautiful face in the morning."

Holly's hand covered his bringing it down to her lips and placing a soft kiss against the palm. "I need you." she said, softly. "I just need to be near you."

He leaned in, softly kissing her lips. "Then you have me, luv." he told her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." she smiled, mischievously. "Now take off your clothes and climb into bed with me."

"So it's like that, is it?"

"Exactly." she replied.

Robert took off his jacket, tossing it unto the nearby chaise. "You're a demanding one, Mrs. Scorpio."

Her eyes danced over him as he continued to undress. "I guess this means that you're very compliant then, doesn't it?"

"Mm." he sighed. "I am hoping to get some incredible sex out of it."

"Yeah, we'll see."

Robert shed his next to last article of clothing, his pants leaving him in only his boxers. "Good enough?" he asked. "Or would you like me to remove these as too?"

"They have to go as well." she told him. "You don't seem to be following orders very well."

"I never did." he replied. "But I thought I would leave something for you to take off of me."

"I like watching you undress."

He slowly slid off his boxers. "How's that?"

"Much better." she said, appreciatively. "Just the way I like you."

"It's your turn." he told her, his fingertips sliding over the strap of her nightie. "Take it off."

Holly looked up at him, undeniable desire sparkling in her chocolate eyes. "Take it off of me."

Robert moved forward onto the bed beside her. "I thought you'd never ask."

He leaned in capturing her lips in a slow, delicate kiss. Their tongues caressed against each other like satin intertwining with silk. He slid the strap of her nightie down her shoulder. His fingertips gingerly caressing her bare skin sending what felt like bolts of electricity throughout her body. She leaned into him, into his kiss, pressing the curves of her soft body against the hard tones of his.

Holly moved up onto her knees in attempt to close in the distance between them.. His hands slid down her body, caressing her back through the thin silk as he placed hot kisses against her neck. She moaned out, his name escaping her lips softly and seductively. His hands moved down to her hips pulling her down to his lap, his body arching wantonly against hers.

"I've missed you so much.." he said, pulling back so that he could look at her. "You're so beautiful pregnant." he whispered. "So incredibly beautiful."

"I want you." she breathed out. "I want you to make love to me."

He played with the fallen straps of her nightie for a few moments, his fingertips dancing lightly across her silky smooth skin as he drank in her beauty. His eyes slid down to her slightly heaving breasts watching the rhythmic rise and fall. He pulled the straps down her arms exposing her swollen, perfectly rounded breasts.

Holly's eyes followed his gaze. "At least I know what you like most about me being pregnant."

Robert raised his eyes to meet hers. "No, I love the fact that we're going to have a son the rest is just an added bonus." he told her. "But you've always had amazing breasts."

"Well instead of staring why don't you just touch me?" she said as she reached for his hand. "I need you to touch me."

His hand tentatively moved forward toward her. His fingertips slowly glided across her full breast until he felt her hardened nipple against the palm of his hand. Robert's caresses were feather light and delicate as though he were touching porcelain instead of his wife. Her breasts were heavier and fuller and he assumed tender. And the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

Holly placed her hand over his, forcing his light caresses to become harder. "Please don't be afraid to touch me." she said. "I'm not going to break."

"I just don't want to hurt you."

"You're not hurting me." she replied, her hand continuing to guide his. "I want you to touch me."

"Aren't you sore?" he asked. "At least a little tender?"

"A little, but I'm more sensitive than anything" she confessed as her hand slid away from his. "But you touching me helps."

Robert's touch became bolder and more thorough as he massaged her breast just the way she had showed him. Holly arched into his incredible touch, moaning out softly at the feel of his skilled hand caressing her. The moment her declaration of pleasure escaped her full lips both of Robert's hands were on her breasts, touching and caressing and massaging.

"How does that feel, luv?"

"Amazing."

He gently pushed her back against the stack of pillows behind her, his body moving to cover hers careful not to put any weight on her rounded stomach. He placed a soft kiss against her lips and then slid his open mouth down her body and to her breasts. He kissed the swell of her breast and then his warm, wet mouth moved inward licking over her hardened nipple.

As soon as his tongue touched her she threaded her hands into his hair, pulling him closer and closer to her. Her back arched against the feel of his tongue licking and swirling against her. After a few long moments of torture he sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing and massaging as she writhed beneath him. His hand caressing the opposite breast, his fingertips dancing over her nipple as his mouth continued to devour her before switching his mouth over to the opposite breast giving it equal treatment.

His hand moved down her body, underneath her nightie, his fingers gliding up her silky smooth thighs until he reached wetness between her legs. His fingertips grazed over her ever so lightly as he continued his assault on her breasts. His fingers gently caressed her, driving her absolutely insane. Her hips rocked against the movement of his hand wanting more and more of his touch as she moaned out loudly, never wanting him to stop.

Robert's tongue licked from her nipple to the underside of her breast causing her to cry out in appreciation. She tasted like pure heaven and her soft moans were music to his ears. He couldn't wait any longer he had to have her. He shifted his weight over her so that he could taste her lips, sweet and swollen and red. His tongue licked over the tip of hers before drawing it into his hot mouth.

His body pressed against hers, hard and hot and throbbing. And the only thing he could think of was burying himself inside of her again and again until the pulsating need was gone. Until she was clinging to him hot and sweaty and out of breath begging for more. Her hips continued to rock against his passion driven fingers as he continued to torture her sweetly, his arousal rubbing against her thigh making her wetter and wetter with each passing moment.

"Robert." she said in a wisp of air. "You're killing me."

"Pleasuring you, luv." he replied. "There's nothing like a nice slow burning torture to get your blood flowing."

Holly's hand slid down, grasping his arousal tightly in her hand. "You mean rushing."

Robert groaned a deep guttural groan. "Damn that feels good." he said as she began stroking him. "I've missed your touch."

"I can tell."

He smiled as he leaned in to softly kissed her lips. "I want to make love to you." he said. "Unless you have any objections."

Holly gazed up at him, little flecks of gold sparkling in her dark brown eyes. "Just one."

"Really?" he asked. "What's that?"

"I know you're really comfortable." she said as she continued to stroke him, slowly. "But we have to reverse our positions or change them because it's not going to work like this."

Robert laughed softly, his hand sliding over her stomach. "And what position would you prefer?"

"On top." she replied. "For starters anyway."

"And then?" he asked.

"One thing at a time." she said. "Now on your back."

"Yes, madame."

tbc...


	14. Chapter 14

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 14

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: R

The clock on the night stand read six minutes til three. The room was barely lit, the moonlight from earlier had faded behind clouds, and the only thing that filled the oversized room were shadows. Holly pressed a kiss to the side of Robert's neck. When he didn't stir she placed another kiss against his warm skin, opening in her mouth and letting her tongue dance across his neck. He groaned out, still very much asleep.

Holly kissed up his neck, all the way up until she reached his ear. She licked over the shell of his ear, her tongue tickling him. Subconsciously, or perhaps not, his hand glided up her bare back, pushing her closer to him. "Robert." she whispered, her breath hot against his ear. "Wake up, darling."

"Mmm." he moaned. "Holly."

She kissed down his jaw until her lips were touching his. She traced his bottom lip with the very tip of her tongue, his lips parted slightly and shr slipped her tongue into his mouth licking over his. And suddenly he was wide awake. His mouth covered hers starting a delicious, heated battle that seemed to go on forever, his lips stroking, his tongue caressing.

Her hand which had been resting in the center of his chest began to move lower over toned muscle. She could feel the rising of heat the farther down her hand traveled. And when she reached his arousal, hard and throbbing Robert inhaled sharply, his mind went blank. The only thing he could concentrate on was the exquisite feel of her hand wrapped tightly around him.

His kissed her lips once and then twice. And then he kissed her face, feeling a warm wetness against her flushed cheeks. He pulled back away so that he could see her. The little light that cascaded through the darkened room lit up her tear stained face. Abruptly he sat up, fear rushing through his blood at lightening speed.

"Holly, what's wrong?" he asked, concern flooding his voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she replied, moving closer to him. "I just need you that's all."

He wiped away her tears. "Why are you crying, luv?"

"I'm not sure."

"Don't cry, darling." he said. "I hate it when you cry."

"So do I." she replied.

Robert pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her. "What do you need?" he asked. "What's going to make you feel better?"

"You." she told him. "I want to make love yo you."

He gently caressed her face. "No more crying, okay?"

"Okay." she said softly as her mouth moved closer to his. "No more crying just love making."

Her lips collide with his their mouths and tongues tangling together. And within seconds Holly on top of him, straddling him. Robert ran his hands down her bare back to her bottom, pulling her closer against him. She pushed him back against the pillows behind him, her mouth continuing to devour his. She needed him so much. His heart. His soul. His entire body.

They moved together rhythmically, Holly dominating every incredible intense moment. Robert's hand roamed her damp body with possession and precision, touching and caressing and massaging all the right places at the right exact time. He slid his hand down between her breasts, over her rounded stomach and to her hips helping to guide her as her movements became more and more restless.

Robert leaned up, kissing her lips and then her neck and down her chest. His hot, open mouth glided down between her breasts, catching a tiny bead of sweat with the tip of his tongue. His body rose up in perfect sync to meet her's deliciously in the middle. Holly arched against his thrusts, her nails digging down into his slick biceps as they rocked together at a delirious pace.

Both of his strong hand gripped her hips, guiding her as their bodies came closer and closer to the devastating yet desired threat of release. Their breath quickened, their hearts pounded, their blood rushed. Holly's hands reached for his, pulling them away from her. She interlaced her fingers with his and then pinned his hands on either side of his head as she lowered her body down against his.

Their sweat drenched bodies slid together with such fervor that only an explosive, eruptive climax would be reward enough to stop. Holly's smooth tongue delved into Robert's open mouth engaging him in the most exquisite kiss until they were both struggling to breathe. Loud, appreciative moans filled the bedroom getting higher and higher until she released a breathless scream of Robert's name. Mere moments later he followed behind her, a low, guttural groan escaping his lips followed by the delicate whisper of her name.

Holly collapsed against him, utterly exhausted and completely sated. She placed a kiss against his bare shoulder. "I love you." she whispered next to his ear. "I never want to be away from you ever again."

Robert's hands caressed her damp back. "Neither do I, luv." he said. "Our family is the most important thing to me in the entire world."

It was a little after nine when Robert woke up to little yet healthy kicks in his left side. He glanced down at Holly who was sound asleep in his arms. He lowered his hand beneath the sheet until he was touching her bare, rounded stomach. His fingertips gently caressed back and forth where he felt the kicks. "Are you trying to wake up Mummy?" he asked, his hand sliding over her stomach. "She looks like an angel when she's sleeping."

His fingertips continued to caress the firm, smooth skin beneath his hand. He was really enjoying the whole pregnancy experience more than he ever thought he would. Holly was radiant and glowing and he was almost positive she had never been more beautiful. They were having a baby. After everything they had been through and all the cruel blows that fate had dealt them they were finally having the baby he always wanted them to have.

Unable to stop himself he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against her lips. "I love you." he whispered. "You're the only woman I've ever truly loved."

"Robert." she moaned as she began to stir. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine." he answered. "Did I wake you?"

Holly opened her eyes focusing them on him. "No your son woke me." she replied. "He thinks he's a football player."

Robert smiled thinking of his son kicking a football around the backyard. "Yeah." he sighed. "He woke me up too he kept kicking me right in the side."

"When I was pregnant with Amelia she used to do what felt like somersaults, flipping over and over again." she told him. "Her favorite time to do it was in the middle of the night. It drove me insane. And Addison too."

"We haven't talked very much about Amelia." he commented. "All I really know about her is that she's as beautiful as her mother from the picture you showed me last night at dinner."

Holly smiled. "She's adventurous, so bold and daring but she's so delicate and dainty at the same time." she told him. "When she was about four she convinced herself that she could fly. She climbed the little apple tree in the backyard and was ready to take off in flight, but Addison caught her just in time. I had never been so scared in my entire life. Afterwards I asked to her why she did it and she looked at me with those big brown eyes and said that she knew she could fly because she believed in magic."

"Amelia sounds a lot like you."

"Maybe a little." she agreed.

"You said that she goes to Taunton Prep." he recalled. "Does she live in the dormitories?"

"Only during the school week." she told him. "She decided that she wanted to live there this year, she wanted to be with her friends. She comes home on Friday night and we drop her back off on Monday morning."

"And you and Addison are okay with that?"

"We weren't crazy about the idea at first, but it was something she really wanted to try. A lot of her friends aren't from London and they stay there full time. And with my boarding school background I really couldn't argue against it. But she's getting older now and doesn't always need Mum and Dad to hold her hand."

"So what's she like?" he asked, curiously. "What does she like do?"

"She loves horseback riding." Holly told him. "Grace and William, her grandparents, bought her a pony when she was three and she's been riding ever since. She's not really into sports unless its tennis, but she loves to dance she takes ballet lessons every Wednesday evening. Amelia is loving and caring and charming and so sweet. She's excited about having a little brother."

"So Amelia knows about the baby?"

"Of course." she replied. "It's not like I could keep it from her."

"She knows everything?" he asked a bit surprised.

"Yes." she replied, honestly. "I told Amelia everything. I would never lie to my daughter and as difficult as it was and as confusing as it was I told her the entire truth. I told her about you and our relationship and about the past. And I told her about being in the Markham Islands that week in May that resulted in Henry."

"How did she take it?"

"Surprisingly well." she answered. "Amelia had a lot of questions and Addison and I did our very best to answer all of them."

"She must hate me." he said. "I mean if it weren't for me then you and Addison would still be together."

"Perhaps." she replied, honestly. "And then again maybe not. I love him ,but somehow what we have never ends up being enough."

"Holly you were prepared to go back to London and try and fix things with him." he pointed out. "Obviously the two of you can make it work in some way."

"Making it work isn't always enough." she replied. "Addison and I tried really hard to make our relationship exactly what we wanted it to be when I came back from the Islands. I found out I was pregnant with Henry a few weeks after he and I had gotten back together, it was right around Amelia's birthday, and things kind of fell apart again. And just so you know she doesn't hate you, Robert, in fact she's looking forward to meeting you."

"I'd really like to meet her too." he said, softly. "She sounds more like you than you're willing to admit."

"I guess the only question is are you coming home to England?" she asked. "Because my entire life is there. I write at home at my estate and I would never uproot Amelia from everything she's ever known and bring her here."

"I don't expect you to, luv." he answered. "There's nothing keeping me in Port Charles and you know I would follow you to the very ends of the earth."

Holly smiled up at him. "I believe you said you would follow me to hell."

"Yes I did." he replied. "And gladly."

"I just don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do or anything you're not ready for." she told him. "If you're going to relocate to England then..."

"Holly." he interjected. "I want to be with you. It doesn't matter if it's in England or France or the moon I'm going to be there right beside you. I'll find a real estate agent and see if he find me something near you."

"You don't need a real estate agent, I have a perfectly fine guest house that sits toward the back of the estate." she said. "You can stay there for a while until Amelia is comfortable with the situation."

"That's was my concern." he replied. "This entire situation is complicated enough and the very last thing I want to do is put any kind of pressure on Amelia. I don't want to make things even more difficult than they already are for her."

"It is complicated." she agreed. "But I need you to be close by throughout the rest of my pregnancy, Robert. It makes the guest house the perfect solution."

"Are you sure Amelia is going to be alright with it?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it." she replied. "It's not like I'm moving you into our home and into my bedroom after the first time the two of you meet. We're going to do this slow and steady so noone involved gets hurt."

Robert brushed a few stray pieces of hair away from her face. "Nice and slow." he agreed. "I just hope you'll be making some appearances at the guest house between now and then."

She smiled. "You know I will." she said as she leaned in to kiss him.

"You better."

Just as his lips were about to cover hers the most annoying ring filled the entire room. Holly pulled away from him, turned over and reached for the phone on the night stand. "Hello."

"Good morning, darling." Addison said. "How are you and the baby?"

"We're great." she replied. "And how is your stay in Manhattan?"

"So far so good." he said. "I'm calling to let you know that there's an award ceremony tonight that requires your attention."

"Tonight?" she repeated. "No, Addison, that's for two more weeks."

"I thought so too, but I read the invitation wrong." he told her. "The ceremony is tonight at eight. I've already booked you a flight into Manhattan it's departing at one."

"Okay." she agreed. "But I don't have a thing to wear we're going to have to go shopping."

"Not a problem, darling, we'll go together." Addison told her. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye."

"Addison?" Robert asked. "What did he want?"

"I have to go to Manhattan." Holly told him. "There's an awards ceremony that I'm expected to attend."

"With Addison?" he asked

"Yes."

"So it's just like that, huh?" he sighed. "Addison calls and you take off?"

tbc...


	15. Chapter 15

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 15

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: R

"So it's just like that, huh?" Robert sighed. "Addison calls and you take off?"

Holly sat up in bed, repeating what he just had said in her head. She wanted to make sure she heard him correctly. "What?" she asked, wanting clarification. "What does that even mean, Robert?"

"Addison called and you're just going to jump at his request?"

"One: Addison is my publisher." she told him, yanking the sheet up over her exposed body. "And two: he's my friend. So even if I didn't have to be at this event, which I do, I would still go to support him."

"So is this what it's going to be like when we get back to England?" he asked. "You responding to his every whim?"

"Are you kidding me, Robert?" she sighed heavily. "You jumped at every opportunity to play hero with the WSB. You took off at the drop of a hat for your commissioners job. You got yourself blown up with Anna and Faison and you want to complain about me joining Addison in Manhattan for an awards ceremony? Incase you've forgotten, Robert, I'm a writer and this is about my career not about jumping at Addison's every whim."

"What am I suppose to think, Holly?" he asked. "Yesterday you were telling me how much you loved him, then he shows up bringing you flowers, and now he's whisking you away to Manhattan for the night. Is that not suppose to not make me uncomfortable?"

"It makes you uncomfortable?" she questioned. "Like when you used to run off to 'save' Anna when we lived in Australia? Uncomfortable? Like when my loving husband lied to me about his past? Or is it uncomfortable like when your seven year old daughter showed up on my doorstep to spend the summer with us? How uncomfortable is it for you, Robert?"

"Holly...I..."

"I can't do this." she said, interrupting him as she got up, wrapping the sheet around her. "I can't keep doing this with you. This whole two steps forward and three steps back thing isn't going to work. If this is how things are going to be with us, constantly on eggshells, then maybe the only thing we should consider is co-parenting. I'm a mother of two children now, they come first and everything else is a distant second."

"Holly, I'm sorry." he apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you. I know I shouldn't feel like this and I'm sorry but I do. Addison is rich and charming and handsome and younger and given everything that's transpired between us can't you see where I might feel a little insecure about your relationship with him?"

"Oh, Robert." she sighed softly as she moved back onto the bed, next to him. "You have nothing to be worried about, nothing at all." she assured him. "I'm in love with you and that means much more than all of those other qualities in Addison combined."

"I'm sorry." he apologized again. "I hate it when I hurt you. You deserve so much better than what I've ever given you and I wouldn't blame you for a moment if you took off with Addison and left me as a distant memory."

"Never." she whispered. "Besides you have many more desirable qualities than he does."

"Really?"

"Yes." she replied, moving closer to him. "You're sophisticated, suave, and you're dripping with charm. You're incredibly handsome, undeniably sexy, and an absolutely amazing lover."

"I really think you should elaborate on the 'absolutely amazing lover' part." he said with a sly smile. "It sounds like there's more to the story than that."

Holly moved even closer to him, her sheet covered body brushing up against his. "Well." she whispered seductively as her hand slipped down his body. "For starters you're rock hard in all the places I'm delicately soft. Your muscles are toned and tight and strong which comes in handy in some of the positions you enjoy making love in. And your touch is perfect. You know how I want to be touched and when I want to be touch. You send chills down my spine yet you make me hot and wet all at the same time. And your mouth is divine no matter where it happens to be on my body. You turn me on like no man ever has and like no man ever will."

"Says the writer." he managed to breathe out.

"Mmm." she moaned, her hand slipping down underneath the sheet to touch him. "And every single word of it was true and we both know it."

"I could use a little convincing." he said. "My ego is hurting pretty badly, I think it could use a little stroking."

Holly moved her hand up and down his hot, thick, throbbing arousal. "I don't think your ego is hurt at all." she smiled, devilishly. "But I don't mind stroking it just a little."

"You're so good to me." he replied. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Well, I was going to take a shower." she told him. "And I thought you might like to come help me out."

"Help you out?" he questioned.

"Yes." she replied. "I thought you could wash my back."

"Is that all?"

"And maybe a few other places."

He kissed her, full on the lips. "I'm sorry, luv." he said softly. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Your emotions just got the best of you, that's all." she said. "Now, how about that shower?"

Robert's hands easily glided over Holly's soap covered breasts, caressing and massaging and kneading, causing her to arch into his touch. She moaned out softly as his fingertips swirled around her nipples sending shivers down her spine. He pulled her toward him and into his strong arms. His lips covered hers indulging them both in a kiss that left them breathless and wanting more.

The hot water beat down against their already smoldering bodies as they fervently explored one another with their hands and their mouths and their bodies. They were swept up in emotion and passion and sensation. It was as if they had never been apart and yet somehow they had managed, like wine, to only get better with age.

"Holly." he whispered, his breath hot in her ear, awakening every nerve ending in her entire body and making it stand on end. "I love you."

She leaned into him, into his kiss, into his body. "I want you." she whispered back. "I need you so badly, darling."

He turned her around so that she was facing the shower wall. His hands slid down over the firm skin of her rounded stomach and down farther to her hips. Slowly, ever so slowly their bodies joined together. They moved together in absolute perfect sync. His hand covered hers against the shower wall, interlacing their fingers together. And after several blissful minutes he felt her body giving in to the overwhelming demand of culmination. He followed behind her a few short moments later.

Robert made his way into Kelly's and over to where Anna was sitting. He sat down across from her although she didn't notice, she had her face buried in a file. "Good morning, sunshine." he said. "Have I kept you waiting long?"

Anna lowered the file, glaring at him from across the table. "You're twenty minutes late." she informed him. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Catching up on sleep."

"Holly's exhausting you?" she asked. "Nevermind I don't care to know, but obviously you've gotten her back. Well, either that or she's just using you for her own personal pleasure. I mean have you seen Addison McCree?"

"Damn, Anna." he sighed. "I can't even begin to tell you how not funny that is."

"My, my aren't we moody?" she said.

"Everything with Holly is fine." he told her. "Amazing actually."

"Good morning, Robert!" Luke's voice echoed throughout the establishment. "How ya doing old buddy?" he asked as he slapped him on the shoulder, whilst cradling his daughter in the other arm. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

"Who are you calling old?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Luke grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the table. "You're taking this much worse than I thought if you're here with Anna." he said, confusing everyone. "You should have came to me instead I've been in this situation before I can help you out a heck of a lot more than she can."

They both just kind of looked at Luke, trying their best to figure out what in the hell he was talking about. "What?!" they finally asked, in unison.

"About Holly." Luke said, shifting Ruby around in his arms. "I thought you would be steaming."

"Luke." Anna said, flustered. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yeah, you've lost me." Robert added. "Holly attending an awards banquet she didn't up and leave."

"Didn't you see the society section?" he asked. "Holly and Addy are featured."

Robert shook his head. "No." he replied. "But he's her publisher it's all business."

"Here, take her." Luke said, handing the baby to Robert. "I'll show you." he said as he got up and picked up a newspaper off an empty table. He quickly flipped through until he found the society page. "Here it is."

Robert and Anna both looked down at the article in front of them. They couldn't miss the big, bolded print. "Powerhouse team Stowe and McCree expecting second child." Robert quietly read aloud, his eyes scanning over the paper. Words like relationship and love and children and devotion and happy jumping out at him. It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

tbc...


	16. Chapter 16

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 16

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Robert and Anna both looked down at the article in front of them. They couldn't miss the big, bolded print. "Powerhouse team Stowe and McCree expecting second child." Robert quietly read aloud, his eyes scanning over the paper. Words like relationship and love and children and devotion and happy jumping out at him. It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

"That's the biggest load of rubbish I've ever read!" Anna said. "This is just further proof that the media does more damage than it does good."

"There are quotes in there." Luke pointed out. "Made by both Holly and Addy."

"And I'm sure they were taken completely out of context." she replied. "The media was just doing what the do best: exploiting people."

"As much as I hate to say it." Luke started. "Are we absolutely sure that Holly's baby isn't Addy's?"

Robert sat in dead silence, a look of confusion mingled with uncertainty as well as a hint of anger on his face. He and Holly had been through hell since the very beginning of their relationship. Nothing was ever easy for them and they never expected it to be but yet as long as their was love, hope and trust they knew that in the end everything would work out. The only problem was their relationship had stood more tests than were ever necessary, leaving them filled with fear and uncertainty. Some things were just too good to last.

"Holly told him that it was his baby, you idiot!" Anna said as she reached over and smacked him, rather hard, on the arm." "She wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Maybe she's not sure." Luke offered. "Maybe she doesn't want to know."

"The baby is mine." Robert said, firmly as he reached for the baby bottle Luke had sat on the table. "End of story."

"You're such an ass, Luke." she commented as she leaned closer to him. "Why the hell would you say something like that?"

"I thought we should explore all possible options." he replied.

"Well, you thought wrong!" she said. "From now on how about keep stupid comments to yourself?"

Robert held the baby closer against him as he began to feed her. And although it was something that he had done numerous times in the past two months since Ruby was born it somehow felt different now. Just knowing that in a few months he would be holding his son in his arms, feeding him and rocking him and playing with him somehow made it even more incredible.

"So, Robert." Anna said, smiling as she observed him with Ruby. "Have you come up with a middle name for Henry yet?"

"I was considering Burton." he told her, so entranced with the baby. "Henry Burton Scorpio, I think it has a nice ring to it."

"After Burt Ramsey?" she asked.

"Yes." he replied. "I thought it would be a nice way to honor him."

"Mr. Luke?" Alice called out as she made her way into Kelly's and over to where he was sitting. "Mr. Luke?"

He looked up at her, a hint of fear spreading across his face. "Yes, Alice?" he asked. "What can I do for you?"

"Ms. Quartermaine wants you and little Ruby home." she informed him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Now."

Luke swallowed, hard. "Has it been an hour already?" he asked. "My does time fly when you're having fun."

"Sure has." Alice replied. "And we don't want to keep her waiting now do we?"

"Of course not." he said, smiling sweetly, too sweetly. "Say bye-bye to Uncle Robert, Ruby." he said as he reached for the baby. "I'll see you guys around. And Robert, just forget everything I said, you and Holly and little Scorpio are going to be just fine."

"Thanks, Luke." he replied.

"Mr. Luke." Alice said, again. "We really must be going."

"Okay." he said. "Say goodbye to Anna, the wicked witch of the north."

"That's not funny, Luke." she replied.

"I thought it was a scream." he laughed. "A real scream."

Luke followed Alice toward the door. And once he reached it he turned around. "Yeah." he sighed. "She wants me." he said and then kept on walking.

Anna turned back around to face Robert. She just shook her head, not quite sure that anything she had just seen was real. "What the hell was that?" she finally asked. "She could be a linebacker."

Robert laughed. "That's the Quartermaine maid." he answered. "She kinda keeps Luke in check."

"I see that." she replied, noticing that he couldn't take his eyes off the picture of Holly and Addison in the society page. "You know you really shouldn't listen to Luke, right? I mean he only acts like that because, well, one: he's an ass and two: he's stupid. I can completely understand why Skye only lets him out with their baby for an hour at a time."

"This is all one big mess." he sighed, folding the paper up because he couldn't bear to look at the picture for another second. "Holly and I have talked everything out. We've made plans for the future. Everything's fine."

"Then why do you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?" she asked. "That article doesn't mean a damn thing. The press just noticed she was pregnant, snapped some photos, took a few of their words and put together a very misleading article that's all. And you have to keep in mind that this Harper Stowe is just a facade, she's not Holly."

"Yeah." he breathed out. "It's just I don't think I have what it takes to go up against this Addison McCree guy."

"Go up against him?" she asked. "What makes you think that you have to compete with him?"

"Holly's been with him for so long." he told her. "That kind of attachment and love can't just be flipped on and off like a switch."

"Robert there never was a choice to be made." Anna said. "From the very moment Holly found out you were alive her heart followed you not Addison."

"I know it's just..."

"Just what?" she asked. "Do you not believe that Holly's head over heels in love with you? Do you not believe that she wants you and not him? Do you really believe that her baby, the child she's carrying, isn't your son?"

"I know that Holly loves me." Robert said. "And there is no doubt in my mind, that little boy is mine."

"The you need to let all these insecurities go." she told him. "There's no reason for you to have them at all."

"I'm a little scared." he confessed. "Holly and I are really good together but we can never stay together very long. Maybe some things are too good to be true after all."

"Robert." she sighed. "We've been through this before. And I thought we worked through it. That damn article and the picture that accompanies it doesn't mean a damn thing and we both know it. If Holly wanted Addison she would be with Addison, but if you keep doing this back and forth crap then she is going to end up with him, you're going to end up alone and it's going to be all your fault. And to top it all off I'm going to have to listen to you whine about it for the rest of my life and I really don't want that, Robert. So please, please get it together."

"I really think it's best if Holly and I are just co-parents." he said, softly. "Anything else would just be asking too much."

Anna leaned across the table and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket. "Robert Scorpio, I swear to God, if you do anything stupid because of some ridiculous newspaper article I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

"Let go, Anna." he said. "You're making a scene."

She sighed heavily. "I don't care." she said as she released him from her grasp. "If I can't talk any sense into you I should just knock some into you."

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "It's just that the past few days have been absolutely insane."

"I know." Anna agreed. "Now, Holly's plane will be landing in about an hour. Why don't you go find her some flowers or something before you meet her at the airport."

Robert placed Holly's luggage down on the floor beside the couch. The entire afternoon was a disaster. He had waited at the airport for two long hours because she changed her flight and didn't tell him. The flowers he picked up for her were practically wilted by the time she exited the plane. He read so many magazine articles that he was sure he could be the next contestant on Jeopardy and to top it all off when she finally did decide to grace him with her presence she was swarmed by various members of the press. And as hard as he tried to keep his insecurities at bay they kept floating back to him.

Holly sat down on the sofa to relax. She had been so completely exhausted from the previous evenings events that she slept right through the first flight she was to return on. Award ceremonies were always tedious and tiring but being pregnant made it a thousand times worse. She glanced over at her golden statue sitting on the cocktail table. Perhaps in the end it was all worth it. After all she was back with Robert where she wanted to be the entire time she was with Addison.

"You're very quiet, darling." she said. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." he answered. "Nothing."

"You barely said two words to me on the way back." she pointed out. "If something's bothering you please just tell me."

He began to nervously pace back and forth. "It's nothing." he said. "Everything's fine."

"Robert."

"There was an article in the paper about you." he told her. "A big write up on Harper Stowe and Addison McCree and what a wonderful team they made."

"Okay." she said, slowly. "That's what you're upset about?"

"No." he sighed. "It's more than that."

"Then what is it?" she asked. "Please just talk to me."

Robert stopped pacing and looked over at her, their eyes locking together. "The article went on and on about you and Addison and your impending arrival."

"Well, Robert, that's to be expected now." she said. "I am visibly pregnant."

"No, Holly, not just your baby." he corrected her. "Your baby with Mr. Addison McCree."

"Oh." she breathed out, finally understanding. "That's why you're upset."

"Am I not allowed to be?" he asked. "Am I suppose to just sit back and ignore it?"

"Calm down, darling." she said, softly. "I know that you're upset and you have every right to be. The press gets things wrong all the time they're always spinning things in their favor and when they don't have a story they make one up or worse the take the facts they do know and just add to them."

"And you just take it?"

"I ignore it." she replied. "People are going to think what they want to think and journalists are going to write what they want to write. It was difficult to ignore it at first, but if you don't it's then you can't survive out there."

Robert sat down beside her on the sofa. "I just don't like this." he confessed. "That baby is ours, not Addison's."

"You and I know that." she said as she reached for his hand. "Our friends and family know and that's all that matters. Besides Robert, Harper Stowe doesn't really exist."

"It doesn't make it any less painful."

"So what do you want me to do, Robert?" she asked. "Make a statement to the press?"

"Yes!"

"Are you serious?" Holly questioned. "You really want me to release a statement to the press?"

"Yes." he answered again. "Absolutely."

"What the hell am I suppose to say, Robert?" she asked. "My husband, who just returned from the dead, is the father of my child and not my business partner and longtime companion who I also have a child with. Oh and by the way I pretended to be dead too so we're even now. I can't release a statement like that, Robert, it sounds like a plot line from Dynasty!"

"I think it was."

"What?" she asked, confused. "You think what was what?"

"A plot line from Dynasty."

"Can we forget about Dynasty." she said. "The important thing right now is Henry. None of this crap with the press is even worth stressing over. Tomorrow there's going to be another story and then another one the day after that. We can't live our lives according to the press. But if it bothers you that much, darling, I'll release a statement."

"No." he breathed out. "It's fine it's just that I'm a little out of my element on this one."

"I know and I'm sorry." she told him . "I should have filled you in on everything before I left yesterday. This entire mess is my fault and it could have been avoided. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you and I am sorry."

"It's okay, luv." he said as he leaned over and gently kissed her lips. "I'm sorry too. We should be celebrating not fighting. After all you did win last night."

Holly smiled. "Yeah, I did."

"How about we order some room service." he suggested. "What would you like?"

"Chocolate Mousse." she replied. "And strawberries."

"Chocolate Mousse and strawberries." he repeated. "Is that it?"

"Champagne." she added. "I think that's it."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"For now."

He arched an eyebrow. "For now?"

"Yes." she answered, smiling. "Once it gets here I'll fill you in on the rest of my plan."

tbc...


	17. Chapter 17

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 17

Pairing: R&H

Rating: PG-13

Holly's warm soft laughter filled the entire livingroom as she fed Robert strawberries dipped in chocolate mousse. She sat straddling him in only a sheer red slip, her body pressed closely against his. She leaned down and licked a small drop of chocolate off of his chest. Her tongue dancing over his skin teasing and tasting. His hands slipped under the fabric of her slip caressing the bare soft skin beneath his fingertips.

Robert pulled her to him for a kiss. A passionate, deep, breathtaking kiss that seemed to go on and on until all thought of time was forgotten. She pulled away placing wet, hot kisses against his neck down to the base of his throat. He moaned out softly as he pulled her closer and closer to him until she was pressed tightly against his still growing arousal. His hands immediately went into her hair as her mouth continued down his toned body until she came to his nipple swirling her tongue around until he was softly calling out her name.

"I told you dipping strawberries in chocolate mousse was delicious." she said as her lips covered hers yet again. "Don't you think so, darling?"

"Absolutely." he smiled, reaching for a strawberry from the bowl on the end table. "You know what is even more delicious than strawberries dipping in chocolate mousse?"

"What's that?"

Robert held the strawberry up to her full, parted lips. "Take a bite and I'll show you."

Holly leaned forward opening her mouth wider. Her tongue touched the very tip of the fruit and drew it into her mouth. She delicately bit into the fruit, the explosion of sweet and sour hitting her taste buds, and then pulled back. Robert slid the strawberry down her neck leaving a trail of sticky nectar in his wake only to be immediately caught by his smooth tongue. The strawberry moved lower and lower down until she felt little drops of juice drip down between her breasts.

Robert kissed back up her neck until he reached her lips. "You taste like pure heaven." he said, eating the last of the strawberry. "Even better than chocolate mousse."

She smiled devilishly. "But darling." she said. "Now I'm all wet and sticky."

He laughed softly. "Well, I licked all the strawberry off." he replied. "And you wet isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Holly reached for his hand and guided it between her thighs. "Not at all." she agreed. "However, I think you missed a few spots with your tongue."

"Did I?" he asked, caressing the wetness beneath his fingers. "Show me what I missed then, luv, and I promise to lick it all off."

Her fingers slipped under the thin straps of her slip and slowly and seductively pulled it down revealing her full, swollen, aching breasts. Holly glided her fingertips down between her cleavage showing him exactly where he missed. In mere seconds Robert's mouth moved forward, the very tip of his tongue sliding ever so slowly down between her breasts licking off every last drop.

Robert moved his mouth back up to her's, dragging his hot mouth against her flushed skin until he reached her red swollen lips. "Did I get it all that time?" he asked as he leaned in and softly kissed her lips. "I'd hate to leave you wet and sticky."

Holly laughed. "I'm sure you would." she said. "But then again you always were very thorough."

He gently stroked her with his fingers. "Anything to please you, luv, anything." he told her. "And besides I rather enjoy filling all your wants and needs."

"Is that so?" she asked, arching into his delicious touch. "Because I have something in mind that I think you might enjoy."

"Really?" he asked. "And what's that?"

Holly reached for the glass that sat on the end table. "First you have to undress me." she instructed as she took a sip of champagne. "And then I'll show you."

Robert took the glass from her hand and sat it down. "It would be my pleasure, luv." He never took his eyes off of her. He watched as her eyes followed every moment of his hands. Robert slowly slid the slip up her body and over her head. "You like watching me?"

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "I always have." she answered. "Ever since the first night we made love."

He leaned forward kissing her softly. "I love you." he whispered. "You've made me the happiest man in the entire universe. I thought that I had ruined my life by staying away for so long and hurting so many people that I love but that night in the Markham Islands gave me glimmer of hope. And now that we have Henry on the way I know what's most important in life now and that's family and it doesn't matter how many risks you have to take just as long as you're together its all worth it in the end."

"We're going to make it this time." she promised him. "We deserve to be happy, Robert."

"I know we do." he agreed. "And right now there's nothing more that I want to do than make love to my wife."

Holly snuggled closer to Robert, against the warmth of his naked body. He instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around her and took a deep breath inhaling the very essence of her. Things were just as they had always been, just as they always should have been. Waking up with her in his arms, with their baby sleeping between them nestled safely and securely in Holly's womb, with her hand resting securely on the center of his chest.

Robert's hand covered hers his fingers delicately sliding over the rather large ruby ring she wore where his wedding band used to be. He wondered what ever happened to the ring, if she had lost it in the accident or if she had held onto it after all the passing years. But it didn't matter because he planned on getting her a new one, that was if she would accept it.

She opened her eyes adjusting them to the morning light and then looked up at him, smiling. "Morning, darling." she said softly. "How did you sleep?"

"With you in my arms?" he asked. "Wonderfully and you, luv?"

"Fine." she answered. "I like waking up in your arms."

Robert continued to play with the ring on her finger. "This is such a beautiful ring." he commented. "Ruby?"

"Yes." she replied. "It was a gift from Amelia on my first mother's day. It's her birth stone."

"It's lovely." he said. "Holly, I'd like very much to buy you a new wedding ring that is if you would want one. I mean you don't have to wear one if you don't want to...I would understand if you didn't."

"Robert." she interjected. "You're rambling, darling."

"I'm sorry." he apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." she told him. "And the answer to your question is yes. I would love to wear your wedding ring again and I'd like it very much if you wore one as well."

"Then it's settled." he said. "We'll pick something out together."

The loud ringing of the telephone interrupted them.

"Hello?" she answered the phone.

"Holly." a voice came across the line.

"Barry." she said, sitting up in bed. "What's the matter, darling?"

"I'm calling about Amelia." he replied. "You need to come home. She's sick, Holly."

tbc...


	18. Chapter 18

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 18

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Holly had been in complete panic mode ever since she had gotten off the phone with Barry. The only thing she could think of was Amelia. Her baby was sick and she needed her mummy and she was an ocean away. She had to get back to London as soon as possible and once she did she was never leaving without her daughter again. She had been in Port Charles fighting with Robert and then spending hours and hours in bed with him when she should have been at home.

"I need to get a flight to Heathrow." she mumbled. "The quicker the better."

"Holly." he said softly, grabbing her hand. "Calm down, luv."

"Calm down?" she asked. "How can you say that to me? My daughter is sick and I've been here with you without a care in the world and she needs me."

"You had no way of knowing that she would get sick." he said, trying to comfort her. "You didn't know."

"I'm a horrible mother." she said, bursting into tears. "I don't deserve to have Amelia and I don't deserve this baby either."

Robert cradled her face in his hands. "You're a wonderful mother, Holly." he told her. "You came here and told me about Henry when you didn't have to. You've told me all about Amelia, I feel like I know her already. You're a very devoted mother who loves her children, I can see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice and I can feel it in the beat of your heart. You love your children Holly, I don't want to ever hear you saying otherwise."

"I just feel so guilty." she said, moving forward and resting her head against his strong chest. "I hate it when I don't have any control over a situation. I hate feeling lost and helpless."

"We all do." he said as he stroked her hair. "We just have to lean on each other to get through it. You're not in this alone Holly, you're never in this alone, you have me and Addison and Robin and Luke, we're always going to be here. In the good times and in the bad."

"I know." she agreed. "I just need to see Amelia. I just want to hold her and tell her that everything's going to be okay."

"And it will be." he told her. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"I want you to come with me." she said softly. "I know this isn't how we planned on you coming to England but I don't want to go back without you especially now."

"Holly, things don't always go as planned and that's okay." he tried to assure her. "And I wouldn't dream of letting you go back to England without me."

Holly tried her best to dry her tears. Having a sick child was one thing. Having a sick child in another country was a millions times worse. It was official: she was a horrible mother.

"Luv." he said, getting her attention. "Amelia's going to be just fine."

She nodded. "Yeah." she breathed out. "God willing."

Royal London Hospital

Barry sat patiently by Amelia's bedside flipping through a local paper. He had been by her side all night. The last thing he wanted her to feel was alone and scared in such a big, drafty, old hospital. When Taunton Prep had called him he thought that Amelia had nothing more than strep throat. He brought her home the night before and she went straight to bed. But then when he went to check on her the following morning he had noticed that her symptoms had only worsened and took her straight to the hospital. That's when he called Holly.

He looked up and saw Holly, Addison and who he assumed to be Robert approaching the doorway. When they were just about to enter the doorway Barry quickly got to his feet meeting them before they could enter. "Holly, I don't think you should go in there just yet."

"Why not?" she asked just a breath above a whisper. "Is she worse?"

"I think you should talk to Amelia's doctors first." he suggested. "It may not be safe for you to be exposed whilst your pregnant."

"Have they made a diagnosis?" Addison asked, placing a supportive hand on Holly's back. "Or are they still running tests?"

"They've made a diagnosis." he told them. "Apparently Amelia had strep throat that quickly advanced in Rheumatic Fever."

"Rheumatic Fever." Holly repeated. "Isn't that like Scarlet Fever?"

"I think they're both complications of strep throat." Addison answered, gently rubbing her back."But Rheumatic fever is worse than Scarlet Fever."

"So what does that mean?" she asked, leaning into him resting her head against his chest. "I want to know exactly how sick our daughter is."

"Why don't the two of you go talk to the doctor." Barry told them. "I'll stay here with Amelia and Robert."

"Come on." Addison said, taking her hand. "There's no use in worrying ourselves to death before we even find out what's going on. Let's get all the facts first and then we'll take it from there."

"Okay." she agreed softly. "One step at a time."

Robert watched as Holly and Addison made their way down the long hospital corridor together hand in hand. They had the kind of parenting relationship that he wished he could have had with Anna. The biggest mistake they made was remarrying. But he had learnt from past mistakes and he knew that in order to properly co-parent you had to be able to be in the same room with the other without bloodshed or bitter words. It was something he and Anna were working on.

"So, Barry, how have you been?"

"Well." he replied. "And you're obviously alive so you must be doing all right as well."

"Never better actually." he replied. "I might have been even better had you contacted me and told me Holly was alive all those years ago."

Barry laughed, nervously. "Now, Robert, there's no reason to rehash the past." he said. "What's done is done and can't be erased. I'm sure that's something you know from experience, right?"

Robert knew that he didn't have a leg to stand on. "Right."

After Holly and Addison had spoken with the doctors and gotten all the facts and a better understanding of what was going on they felt a little relieved. Amelia was to stay in the hospital so that she could be monitored but that so far things looked good and they were assured that she would make a full recovery with no damage to any of her major organs. Something that both Addison and Holly were thankful for.

Holly sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, gently stroking her long, dark, hair. She remembered when Amelia was a baby and her hair was so unruly with little curls sticking up everywhere that she didn't think it could ever be tamed and now it was as straight as a pin. Memories of her daughter's childhood filled her head she watched her sleep. A sweet, loving, caring little girl with her father's smile.

When she got the call that Amelia was sick and that it was serious every parents worst nightmare became a reality for her. She couldn't imagine her life without Amelia and she would have done absolutely anything to make her better. Because that's what parents do. They go to great lengths for their children to make sure they're safe and secure and happy and loved. And when they get sick those lengths are unimaginable.

tbc...


	19. Chapter 19

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 19  
Pairing: Robert and Holly  
Rating: PG

~Sutton Estate, 3rd January 2007~

Holly sat in her study behind the oversized mahogany desk. Her fingers every so delicately stroked the keys on her laptop with such ease and precision as her thoughts flowed seamlessly from her head to her fingertips. Writing was her greatest passion in life she only wished she would have figured it out sooner. Then again maybe life's experiences had made her the hailed author she was today.

After finishing the end of her thoughts on the chapter she reclined back in her chair. Her hand slid over her rounded and still growing abdomen as Henry's kicks became harder and harder under her hand. Now at thirty four weeks pregnant she could hardly wait to meet her son. And she couldn't wait to see Robert with a baby in his arms. They were in the home stretch and they would be spending the next few weeks making sure that everything was ready for their sons arrival.

"Good morning, luv." Robert greeted her as he walked over to her desk and gingerly kissed her lips. "You're up early."

"Baby woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep." she told him. "So I decided to get a little work done."

Robert sat down on the edge of her desk. "And have you been productive?"

"I've written fourteen pages in the past few hours." she replied. "I want to finish the book in the next few weeks that way I can relax peacefully before the baby's born."

"Then you were very productive."

Holly reached around and rubbed her lower back. "If I'm this productive everyday I should be finished with this book by the end of the week."

"Does your back hurt?"

"A little."

"It's because you've been sitting in that chair for hours." he pointed out. "Why don't you go upstairs and lay down and I'll give you a nice, long massage?"

"You're so good to me." Holly said as she turned over onto her side. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Robert ran his hand down to her lower back and began to gently massage her tense muscles. "You'd go crazy." he laughed. "Absolutely insane."

She smiled. "Probably."

"Have I told you later how breathtakingly beautiful you are?" he asked. "How you make my heart skip a beat every time I look at you?"

"Not since yesterday." she replied. "But it doesn't hurt to hear it again. Especially now that Im growing bigger and bigger everyday."

"Yes but you're carrying our baby." he said as he continued to massage her back. "And that makes you even more beautiful than you already are. In fact I think we should have done this pregnancy thing a long time ago."

"You mean when we were living in Australia?"

"Yes." he replied. "It would have been nice to have a few little ones running all over the house."

"Yeah, well things were a lot different back then."

"What do you mean?"

"You were working a lot and the timing just wasn't there." she told him. "It just didn't seem like a good time to have children. And I selfishly enough wasn't ready to share you with anymore just yet. I was still young and I had other priorities for you and for us. Children really didn't seem to fit into the picture."

"Are you saying that we might not have had children at all?" he asked. "You didn't want to be a mother?"

"No, Robert, what I'm saying is I would have been alright with it if we didn't and I would have been alright with it if we did." she replied. "Maybe if things would have ended up differently we would have had children down the line and then again maybe not. All I know is that I wasn't ready for them back in the mid eighties."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" he asked. "You said that when the time was right that we would have a baby."

"I know." she said softly." But after you found out about Robin being your daughter I thought that you wouldn't mind waiting a little while longer before we had children."

"Why didn't we have this conversation before?"

"Because I thought that as time went on I would change my mind." she told him, honestly. "But during the time we lived in Australia I wasn't ready right then."

"Would you have ever been ready?" he asked. "What if things would have went differently?"

"I try not to think about what might have been." she replied. "Things happened for a reason and now I have Amelia and were going to have Henry and that's all that matters to me."

"Holly, don't misunderstand me, I would have accept it and I would have been fine with it if you decided you didn't want to have children." he started. Its just that you had been pregnant with Luke's baby prior and you were thrilled and then you went on to have Amelia with some guy you didn't even like at first."

"I was very young when I was pregnant with Spencer, Robert, and I was thrilled that I had a little piece of Luke to carry with me throughout life." she explained. "But then the unfortunate happened and I had a miscarriage, but looking back I think that everything turned out exactly as it was suppose to, Robert. Things always do."

"What about Amelia?" he asked. "You were obviously ready to have a baby when you got pregnant with her."

"Not completely." she admitted. "I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant with Amelia, but I also realized how much I wanted her from the very moment the stick turned blue. I can't imagine my life without her. And I think if I would have gotten pregnant in the years we were together I would have been thrilled as well, probably a little less scared, but thrilled."

Roberts hands fell away from her body. "You should have told me how you really felt." he told her. "We should have had this conversation years ago."

"You were so happy when you found out Robin was your daughter. "she said. "The mere mention of her name made you light up. You were so proud and so very happy to be a father. And I was scared, Robert."

"Scared of what, luv?"

"Scared that parenthood wouldn't affect me in the same way it did you." she replied, honestly. "You always wanted to be a father. I didn't always want to be a mother, not until I became one. I didn't grow up with a mum and therefore I had nothing to base what a relationship should be with a mother and child. I guess I was afraid of messing up. Noone told me all these wonderful feelings and emotions would spring forward and that being a mother was one of the most rewarding experiences that life had to offer for me."  
He placed his hand on her upper back, rubbing soothing circles. "I'm sorry." he apologized. "I should have paid more attention to you and how you felt."

"Don't apologize, Robert." she said. "Toward the end of our relationship things were so rocky and so many things were left unsaid that we didn't really talk about anything. You were preoccupied with Anna and rescuing her every time you turned around, and with Robin, and work that we didn't communicate at all. Had it not been for the accident and you being called away I think we may have ended up divorcing."

"I neglected you and I shouldn't have." he said. "And for that Ill always be sorry."

"Robert, stop." she said, softly. "We can't change or erase the past. It is what is it. We both did the things that we had to do. And now here we are together again and expecting a baby. I think we came full circle and everything is right in the world. At least in our world."

"The abrupt ringing of the telephone cut right into their heartfelt conversation. Holly reached for the phone on night stand. "It's Anna." she said, reading the caller id. "It's early morning in Port Charles." she noted before answering. "Hello?"

"Holly, is Robert there?" she asked.

"Yes, he's right here, Anna."

"I need to speak with him." she told her. "It's important".

Holly turned over onto her back and handed the telephone to Robert. "It's Anna." she told him. "She sounds a little panicked."

He took the phone from his wife. "Anna." he said. "What's the matter?"

"It's Robin." Anna told him. "She's caught a virus and she cant seem to shake it. It doesn't look very good, Robert. I'm scared."

tbc...


	20. Chapter 20

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 20  
Pairing: Robert and Holly  
Rating: PG-13

Robert watched Holly as she slept, somewhat peacefully, discovering that what he knew all along was true: she was an angel. He pulled the blanket up over her wanting her to be as comfortable as possible. But at seven and a half months pregnant and being trapped on a plane for hours he knew that her comfort level wasn't going to be all that great and he was relieved that she was sleeping for most of the flight.

"Robert?" a little British accent spoke.

"Yes, Amelia?"

"What's it like in Port Charles?" she asked. "It's a small town isn't it?"

"Very small compared to London." he replied. "It used to be a nice place to live it was quiet and safe and filled with loving, caring, wonderful people. Especially when your mum and I use to live there."

"Mum said that Port Charles is bad place to live because its filled with violence and that the bad guys run the town." she told him. "She said is was a lot different from when you were police commissioner and kept everything under control. All the bad guys went to prison and all the good guys wore badges."

Robert smiled. "Something like that."

"When we land are we going to see Robin right away?"

"First were going to check into the hotel so your mum can lay down and rest." he said as he glanced over at Holly who was still sound asleep. "I don't want her to over do it."

Amelia pushed her long, dark hair back away from her face. "You now what, Robbie?"

"What, luv?"

"You worry way too much." Amelia told him. "Mum and the baby are just fine. And besides she loves Robin and wants to be there with her. What's family good for if you cant be supportive when they need you most?"

"How did you get so incredibly smart?" he asked, teasing.  
"I eavesdrop." she said, simply. "You can learn so much from just listening and not talking."

"You are your mothers daughter." he sighed.

"Are you happy living in England with us?" she asked.

"Why do you ask that?"

"I thought maybe you missed Port Charles." she replied. "Don't you miss not being able to see Robin whenever you want to?"

"I do miss not being able to see Robin as much." he said, honestly. "But Robin is an adult and she likes living in Port Charles and its where she wants to stay. I can't very well follow her everywhere. And as for living in England, I'm very happy there and I don't miss Port Charles in its current state one bit. I'd much rather be with you and your mum and your baby brother."

"Good because I like having you around." she told him. "I'm very interested in the field of espionage and I need you to teach me everything you know, Robbie."

"Have you told Holly about these plans?"

"Not yet." she replied. "What do you think she'll say?"

"Um..." he sighed. "I think you should wait and tell her after the baby's born."

"Why?" Amelia asked. "You don't think shell go along with it?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes." she replied. "Of course."

"She's going to hate it." he laughed. "She's absolutely, positively going to hate it."

Amelia smiled. I" knew you were going to say that." she replied. "And that's why I'm really going to need your help convincing her."

"Oh, no." he laughed. "I'm afraid you're on your own with that one, luv."

"We'll see." she smiled.

"Yeah." he sighed. "We'll see."

"When are we going to land?" she asked. "We've been on this plane forever!"  
"Soon." he replied. "Have you decided what you want to do whilst were in New York?"

"I thought we were going to visit Robin?"

"We are." he replied. "I just don't want you and your mother stuck in a hospital the entire time were there. I thought you'd like to go somewhere tomorrow and spend the day."

"The whole day?"

"The whole day." he confirmed. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"I'd like to go into the city." she said, her eyes sparkling.

"You want to see the Statue of Liberty?"

"Statue of Liberty?" she repeated. "What?"

"You know its this..."

"Yes, Robbie, I know what it is." Amelia said. "But if were going to go into the city then I'm going to want to shop. New York is suppose to have the best stores."

"Oh my." he sighed. "Your eyes are practically glazing over at the very thought."

"A girl can never have too many pairs of shoes."

Robert laughed. "You're twelve."

"Twelve and a half." she corrected him. "Almost thirteen."

"Okay, you're twelve and a half." he said. "Your feet are still growing its ridiculous to have more than three pairs of shoes."

"Three?" she asked. "How is anyone suppose to live with just three pairs of shoes, Robbie, really?"

"A pair for school, a pair to play in, and a pair to wear out." he named off. "Three pair."

"What if I want to wear a brown dress and my dress shoes are black?" Amelia questioned. "Am I just suppose to go around unmatched?"

"Then buy white." he told her. "White goes with anything."

"What if its winter?" she asked. "I can't very well wear white shoes in the dead of winter. Off white: maybe. White: never."  
"Robert." Holly said. "You really don't expect a daughter of mine to only have three pairs of shoes in her closest do you? Besides you own about twelve pairs yourself."

"That's different." he replied. "My feet aren't going to grow anymore."

"Shoes are my passion". Amelia smiled. "And you can never have too many pairs, right mum?"

"That's right, darling." she replied.

Robert laughed. "Like mother, like daughter."

~General Hospital~

Robert walked down the long, white, sterile corridor until he reached the proper room number. He glanced between the slats of the blinds to find his daughter, fragile and pale, hooked up to machines and IVs. Anna was sitting next to her bed, her hand covering their daughters, a few tears trickling down her face.

"Anna" he said softly as he stepped into the room.

"Robert." she breathed out as she got up out of the chair and began walking toward him "I didn't expect you here so soon."

"We took the first flight out." he replied. "How's our girl?"

Anna raised her tear filled eyes to meet his. "It doesn't look good, Robert. she told him. The virus has compromised the progress the medication was having on her HIV. It's making her weaker and sicker and they've tried a million different things but nothing is helping."

Robert pulled her into his arms. "Its going to be okay." he tried to assure her. "They're going to find something to help her."

"What if they don't?" she asked, crying into his shoulder. "What if there isn't anything?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "You have to believe in hope, Anna." he whispered. "You have to believe that everything is going to be okay and well get through this, together." 


	21. Chapter 21

Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 21  
Pairing: Robert & Holly  
Rating: PG-13

Robert wrapped his arms tightly around Anna. "You have to believe in hope, Anna." he whispered. "You have to believe that everything is going to be okay and well get through this, together."

"I've never been this scared in my entire life." she confessed. "She's not getting any better at all and they've tried so many different things and nothing is working and I'm so scared that they're not going to be able to do anything and I cant lose her, Robert, I can't."

"Shh." he quieted her as he gently stroked her hair. "Everything's going to be just fine." he tried to assure her. "Things always get worse before they get better, Anna. Robin's a fighter and she's going to pull through this."

"Then why do I have this sinking feeling in the very bottom of my stomach?" she asked. "Why do I feel like something is about to go terribly wrong?"

"Because you're dwelling on it." he told her. "You need to get out of this hospital room for a few hours."

"I don't want to leave her." she cried.

"I know." he breathed out. "But you need a break, Anna, you'll go crazy if you don't get out of here."

"I don't want to leave her, Robert."

"I know you don't but I'm going to be here with her." he told her. "I won't leave her alone, I promise. I just want you to go and take a shower and get something to eat and maybe take a nap. You need to get out of here for a while because the longer you sit here and think about things the more depressed you're going to get. You need to talk to people, Anna, you need to socialize a little bit and with more than just the doctors and the nurses."

"I'm afraid to leave her." she confessed. "I want to be here with her."

"I'm going to be here with her, Anna, and I'm not going to let anything happen." he tried to assure her. "And if anything does happen then I'll call you right away, but I need you to get out of here for a little while. Please do it for Robin if nothing else she wouldn't want you sitting here going crazy."

"Okay." she agreed. "I'll leave for a little while, but then I'm coming back."

"Just as long as you get some air." he said. "Holly and Amelia and I are staying over at the Metro Court, why don't I give her a call and the two of you can have some dinner together?"  
"Okay." she said, softly. "I'd like that."

~Metro Court Hotel~

Holly sat across from a very quiet, very lost Anna. She could see the pain in her eyes and she could hear it in her voice. Having a sick child was the single most worst feeling in the world and no matter how many times people told you it was going to be okay it was just never simply good enough, you needed proof, you needed something you could see. And in this case it just wasn't possible.

"Anna." Holly said as she reached across the table for Anna's hand. "Are you all right?"

She lifted her eyes to meet Holly's. "Fine." she breathed out. "I'm fine."

"I see." she said. "Is there anything you want to talk about? Anything at all?"

"No."

Holly gently squeezed Annas hand. "Well, I'm here whenever you're ready." she said. "Take your time."

Tears flooded forward in Annas eyes and she didn't know how much longer she could continue to hold them back. The past few days she had been going nonstop and she wasn't sure how much longer she could do it. "I'm scared, Holly." she cried softly. "I'm scared that my daughter is going to die and I can do to stop it."

"I know you're scared Anna and I know you want someone to tell you that everything's going to be alright and that Robin is going to be just fine, but I can't Anna. I can't give you false hope." she told her. "Everyone else is telling you that everything will be okay and that Robin's going to pull through and that this is just a set back something she can beat, but I can't. As mothers we both know that when it comes to your child that there is nothing anyone can say or do that will ever be enough to assure you that your child is going to be okay. Statics and medicine and high priced doctors don't mean a damn thing when you're sitting beside your daughters hospital bed watching the seconds tick by on the clock waiting and hoping and praying that everything is going to be okay. You don't need assurance from others, Anna and you don't need long looks of sadness and you don't need to be treated like porcelain. What you need is for someone to listen when you talk, someone to hold you when you feel like crying, and someone to lean on so you don't feel so alone, because you're not alone, Anna. Robert and I are prepared to stay here for as long as we need to."

"Thank you." she whispered. "You really didn't have to come all this way though, Holly, especially with the baby's due date approaching and Amelia."

"We're family, Anna." she said. "Through the good and the bad. And nothing is ever going to change that."

Anna grasped Holly's hand tightly in hers. "This is the way it should have been from the very beginning." she told her. "I should have just brought Robin to town and told Robert about her. Maybe if I did things would have turned out much differently than they have."

"You can't live your life on whatifs and maybes." she told her. "All we can do now is try not to make the same mistakes again. Life is too short and far too precious to spend it being bitter or having regrets. I wish things would have been different too, Anna, we all make mistakes and we all screw up from time to time. It just proves that were human."

~General Hospital~

Robert sat beside his daughters bedside watching over her as she slept restlessly. As an absentee parent for most of Robins life he felt somewhat disconnected from her. He loved her, she was his child, and he would always love her, but he didn't know her as much as he would like to and he realized in that very moment that he may never get the chance.

Robin's eyes flickered open as she tried her very best to adjust them to the harsh hospital light. "Daddy." she whispered, faintly. "You came."

"Always." he said, smiling. "I'll always be here for you."

"I know." she said. "Where's mom?"

"She's with Holly." he replied. "They're having dinner."

"Good." she sighed. "She needed to get out of here for a little while."

"Is she hovering?"

Robin smiled briefly. "She's driving me absolutely insane." she replied. "She's also driving herself insane in the process. How long have you been here?"

"For about an hour." he told her. "Holly and I took the first flight out of Heathrow we wanted to get here as quickly as we could."

"Is Holly coming by later?" she asked. "I'd really like to see her."

"Yes." he answered. "And Amelia wants to see you too."

"Amelia." she smiled. "She's always been the little sister that I never had."

"How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Not so good, daddy." she admitted. "I've never felt this bad in my entire life."

Robert brushed a few strands of hair away from her damp forehead. "You're going to be just fine." he tried to assure her. "The doctors are working very hard to come up with something to help you."

"I know." she breathed out. "But I don't think they're going to find anything."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm dying, daddy." Robin said, softly. "Nothing they find will help me now."

~Metro Court Hotel~

Holly sat beside Anna on the sofa watching as she slept restlessly. There relationship had been rocky at the very best, but since their recent re-acquaintance last year they both discovered how well they really got along. She got up and reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa and gently covered Anna with it.

As she walked down the hall and into the bedroom she heard the faint ringing of her cell phone from inside her purse. After struggling for a few seconds she answered it on the fourth ring. It was Amelia. "Hello, darling."

"Hi, mummy." she replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm still at the penthouse." she told her. "Are you having a good time with Luke and Skye?"

"Yes." she answered cheerfully. "And I'm getting lots of practice for when Henry's born. But did you know that Skye doesn't leave Uncle Luke alone with the baby for more than an hour? Why does she do that?"

Holly laughed softly. "Someday when you're old enough I'll tell you all about Luke."

"Does this have anything to do with his adventures?" she asked. "Because he's been telling me lots of stories but Skye keeps interrupting him."

"Thank God!" she sighed. "Where is Luke?"

"He's in the livingroom." she told her. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"Please."

Amelia walked from the foyer to the livingroom, holding out the phone. "Uncle Luke." she said. "Its my mum, she wants to talk to you."

"Hello, English." he said. "How are things on your end of town?"

"Not so good." she replied. "Apparently Robin is a lot sicker than Robert and I thought. Things look a little grim at the moment and no one has any answers."

"Robin's a Scorpio." he said. "She's tough and shell pull through."

"I hope so." Holly said. "But I need to ask you a huge favor, Luke."

"Anything." he said. "Just name it."

"I need you and Skye to keep Amelia overnight." she said. "I have this sinking feeling that something isn't quite right and I think it would be best if Amelia was removed from the situation altogether."

"Of course." he replied. "There's a guest room at the lakehouse with her name on it. She can stay with us as long as she needs to."

"Thank you, Luke." Holly replied. "I owe you."

"That you do." he laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "And just remember I always collect."

Holly laughed softly. "Very funny Luke." she said. "And one more thing before I go."

"What's that, English?"

"Please, please don't tell my daughter anymore of your adventure stories." she said with a smile. "Some things need to remain private."

Luke laughed as he thought about the very first time he saw Holly. "You got it, English."

~General Hospital~

"Mr. Scorpio." the doctor said as she entered the room. "I'm Dr. Parker."

Robert stood up and shook the doctors hand. "How's my daughter?" he asked as he glanced back at Robin who was sleeping again. "Did you find anything that could help her out?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." she said. "I'm told that you're wife is pregnant."

"Yes." he answered.

"How far along is she?"

"Thirty five weeks tomorrow." he replied. "What does that have to do with anything though?"

"A lot actually." the doctor replied. "I believe that your wife and your unborn baby just may be able to save your daughters life." 


End file.
